Advances in the discovery of new chemotypes through ultra-large library docking. 2023

Felix Potlitz, and Andreas Link, and Lukas Schulig
Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Greifswald, Germany.

The size and complexity of virtual screening libraries in drug discovery have skyrocketed in recent years, reaching up to multiple billions of accessible compounds. However, virtual screening of such ultra-large libraries poses several challenges associated with preparing the libraries, sampling, and pre-selection of suitable compounds. The utilization of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted screening approaches, such as deep learning, poses a promising countermeasure to deal with this rapidly expanding chemical space. For example, various AI-driven methods were recently successfully used to identify novel small molecule inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro). This review focuses on presenting various kinds of virtual screening methods suitable for dealing with ultra-large libraries. Challenges associated with these computational methodologies are discussed, and recent advances are highlighted in the example of the discovery of novel Mpro inhibitors targeting the SARS-CoV-2 virus. With the rapid expansion of the virtual chemical space, the methodologies for docking and screening such quantities of molecules need to keep pace. Employment of AI-driven screening compounds has already been shown to be effective in a range from a few thousand to multiple billion compounds, furthered by de novo generation of drug-like molecules without human interference.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011480 Protease Inhibitors Compounds which inhibit or antagonize biosynthesis or actions of proteases (ENDOPEPTIDASES). Antiprotease,Endopeptidase Inhibitor,Endopeptidase Inhibitors,Peptidase Inhibitor,Peptidase Inhibitors,Peptide Hydrolase Inhibitor,Peptide Hydrolase Inhibitors,Peptide Peptidohydrolase Inhibitor,Peptide Peptidohydrolase Inhibitors,Protease Antagonist,Protease Antagonists,Antiproteases,Protease Inhibitor,Antagonist, Protease,Antagonists, Protease,Hydrolase Inhibitor, Peptide,Hydrolase Inhibitors, Peptide,Inhibitor, Endopeptidase,Inhibitor, Peptidase,Inhibitor, Peptide Hydrolase,Inhibitor, Peptide Peptidohydrolase,Inhibitor, Protease,Inhibitors, Endopeptidase,Inhibitors, Peptidase,Inhibitors, Peptide Hydrolase,Inhibitors, Peptide Peptidohydrolase,Inhibitors, Protease,Peptidohydrolase Inhibitor, Peptide,Peptidohydrolase Inhibitors, Peptide
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000086382 COVID-19 A viral disorder generally characterized by high FEVER; COUGH; DYSPNEA; CHILLS; PERSISTENT TREMOR; MUSCLE PAIN; HEADACHE; SORE THROAT; a new loss of taste and/or smell (see AGEUSIA and ANOSMIA) and other symptoms of a VIRAL PNEUMONIA. In severe cases, a myriad of coagulopathy associated symptoms often correlating with COVID-19 severity is seen (e.g., BLOOD COAGULATION; THROMBOSIS; ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME; SEIZURES; HEART ATTACK; STROKE; multiple CEREBRAL INFARCTIONS; KIDNEY FAILURE; catastrophic ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODY SYNDROME and/or DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULATION). In younger patients, rare inflammatory syndromes are sometimes associated with COVID-19 (e.g., atypical KAWASAKI SYNDROME; TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME; pediatric multisystem inflammatory disease; and CYTOKINE STORM SYNDROME). A coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, in the genus BETACORONAVIRUS is the causative agent. 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease,2019 Novel Coronavirus Infection,2019-nCoV Disease,2019-nCoV Infection,COVID-19 Pandemic,COVID-19 Pandemics,COVID-19 Virus Disease,COVID-19 Virus Infection,Coronavirus Disease 2019,Coronavirus Disease-19,SARS Coronavirus 2 Infection,SARS-CoV-2 Infection,Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection,COVID19,2019 nCoV Disease,2019 nCoV Infection,2019-nCoV Diseases,2019-nCoV Infections,COVID 19,COVID 19 Pandemic,COVID 19 Virus Disease,COVID 19 Virus Infection,COVID-19 Virus Diseases,COVID-19 Virus Infections,Coronavirus Disease 19,Disease 2019, Coronavirus,Disease, 2019-nCoV,Disease, COVID-19 Virus,Infection, 2019-nCoV,Infection, COVID-19 Virus,Infection, SARS-CoV-2,Pandemic, COVID-19,SARS CoV 2 Infection,SARS-CoV-2 Infections,Virus Disease, COVID-19,Virus Infection, COVID-19
D000086402 SARS-CoV-2 A species of BETACORONAVIRUS causing atypical respiratory disease (COVID-19) in humans. The organism was first identified in 2019 in Wuhan, China. The natural host is the Chinese intermediate horseshoe bat, RHINOLOPHUS affinis. 2019 Novel Coronavirus,COVID-19 Virus,COVID19 Virus,Coronavirus Disease 2019 Virus,SARS Coronavirus 2,SARS-CoV-2 Virus,Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2,Wuhan Coronavirus,Wuhan Seafood Market Pneumonia Virus,2019-nCoV,2019 Novel Coronaviruses,COVID 19 Virus,COVID-19 Viruses,COVID19 Viruses,Coronavirus 2, SARS,Coronavirus, 2019 Novel,Coronavirus, Wuhan,Novel Coronavirus, 2019,SARS CoV 2 Virus,SARS-CoV-2 Viruses,Virus, COVID-19,Virus, COVID19,Virus, SARS-CoV-2,Viruses, COVID19
D000998 Antiviral Agents Agents used in the prophylaxis or therapy of VIRUS DISEASES. Some of the ways they may act include preventing viral replication by inhibiting viral DNA polymerase; binding to specific cell-surface receptors and inhibiting viral penetration or uncoating; inhibiting viral protein synthesis; or blocking late stages of virus assembly. Antiviral,Antiviral Agent,Antiviral Drug,Antivirals,Antiviral Drugs,Agent, Antiviral,Agents, Antiviral,Drug, Antiviral,Drugs, Antiviral
D001185 Artificial Intelligence Theory and development of COMPUTER SYSTEMS which perform tasks that normally require human intelligence. Such tasks may include speech recognition, LEARNING; VISUAL PERCEPTION; MATHEMATICAL COMPUTING; reasoning, PROBLEM SOLVING, DECISION-MAKING, and translation of language. AI (Artificial Intelligence),Computer Reasoning,Computer Vision Systems,Knowledge Acquisition (Computer),Knowledge Representation (Computer),Machine Intelligence,Computational Intelligence,Acquisition, Knowledge (Computer),Computer Vision System,Intelligence, Artificial,Intelligence, Computational,Intelligence, Machine,Knowledge Representations (Computer),Reasoning, Computer,Representation, Knowledge (Computer),System, Computer Vision,Systems, Computer Vision,Vision System, Computer,Vision Systems, Computer
D055808 Drug Discovery The process of finding chemicals for potential therapeutic use. Drug Prospecting,Discovery, Drug,Prospecting, Drug
D062105 Molecular Docking Simulation A computer simulation technique that is used to model the interaction between two molecules. Typically the docking simulation measures the interactions of a small molecule or ligand with a part of a larger molecule such as a protein. Molecular Docking,Molecular Docking Simulations,Molecular Docking Analysis,Analysis, Molecular Docking,Docking Analysis, Molecular,Docking Simulation, Molecular,Docking, Molecular,Molecular Docking Analyses,Molecular Dockings,Simulation, Molecular Docking

Related Publications

Felix Potlitz, and Andreas Link, and Lukas Schulig
February 2019, Nature,
Felix Potlitz, and Andreas Link, and Lukas Schulig
April 2011, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,
Felix Potlitz, and Andreas Link, and Lukas Schulig
April 2024, Journal of chemical information and modeling,
Felix Potlitz, and Andreas Link, and Lukas Schulig
February 2023, Molecular diversity,
Felix Potlitz, and Andreas Link, and Lukas Schulig
January 2023, Frontiers in molecular neuroscience,
Felix Potlitz, and Andreas Link, and Lukas Schulig
March 2023, Trends in pharmacological sciences,
Felix Potlitz, and Andreas Link, and Lukas Schulig
January 2014, Chemical communications (Cambridge, England),
Felix Potlitz, and Andreas Link, and Lukas Schulig
September 2021, Journal of chemical information and modeling,
Felix Potlitz, and Andreas Link, and Lukas Schulig
May 2019, Journal of molecular graphics & modelling,
Copied contents to your clipboard!