Browsing by Author "Lorca, Marcos"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Design of benzimidazoles, benzoxazoles, benzothiazoles and thiazolopyridines as leukotriene A4 hydrolase inhibitors through 3D-QSAR, docking and molecular dynamics
    (2023) Lorca, Marcos; Faundez, Mario; Pessoa-Mahana, C. David; Recabarren-Gajardo, Gonzalo; Diethelm-Varela, Benjamin; Millan, Daniela; Celik, Ismail; Mellado, Marco; Araque, Ileana; Mella, Jaime; Romero-Parra, Javier
    Human leukotriene A4 hydrolase enzyme (LTA4H) catalyses the biotransformation of the inactive precursor leukotriene A4 (LTA4) to the bioactive Leukotriene B4 (LTB4), which causes many inflammatory responses in the human body. Therefore, the selective inhibition of this enzyme becomes a useful strategy for the treatment of several illnesses such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Herein we report a 3D-QSAR/ /CoMFA and CoMSIA study on a series of 47 benzimidazoles, benzoxazoles, benzothiazoles and thiazolopyridines reported as potent LTA4H inhibitors. Good statistical parameters were obtained for the best model (q2 = 0.568, r2 ncv = 0.891 and r2 test = 0.851). A new series of 10 compounds capable of inhibiting leukotriene A4 hydrolase with high potency was presented. All designed inhibitors showed low IC50 in nano- and sub-nanomolar ranges, when they were evaluated in 3D-QSAR models. Subsequently, the designed molecules, as well as the least and most active compounds were subjected to docking and molecular dynamics studies into LTA4H. In conclusion, we summarised a thorough structure-activity relationship (SAR) of LTA4H inhibitors of heterocyclic structure. These models can be used for the rational proposal of new inhibitors.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Structure-guided discovery of benzoic-acid-based TRPC6 ligands. An integrated docking, MD, and MM-GBSA SAR study. Potential therapeutic molecules for autism spectrum disorder
    (2025) Silva, Nicolás Ignacio; Sabadini, Gianfranco; Cabezas, David; González, Cristofer; González, Paulina; Luo, Jiao; Salas Sánchez, Cristián Osvaldo; Mellado, Marco; Lorca, Marcos; Romero Parra, Javier; Mella, Jaime
    TRPC6 is recognized as a therapeutically relevant cation channel, whose activation is governed by specific ligand–pocket interactions. Methods: An integrated in silico workflow was employed, comprising structure-based docking, 100-nanosecond molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and MM-GBSA calculations. Benzoic-acid–based compounds were designed and prioritized for binding to the TRPC6 pocket, using a known literature agonist as a reference for benchmarking. Results: Within the compound series, BT11 was found to exhibit a representative interaction profile, characterized by a key hydrogen bond with Trp680 (~64% occupancy), persistent salt-bridge interactions with Lys676 and Lys698, and π–π stacking with Phe675 and Phe679. A favorable docking score (−11.45 kcal/mol) was obtained for BT11, along with a lower complex RMSD during MD simulations (0.6–4.8 Å), compared with the reference compound (0.8–7.2 Å). A reduction in solvent-accessible surface area (SASA) after ~60 ns was also observed, suggesting decreased water penetration. The most favorable binding energy was predicted for BT11 by MM-GBSA (−67.72 kcal/mol), while SOH95 also ranked highly and slightly outperformed the reference. Conclusions: These convergent computational analyses support the identification of benzoic-acid–derived chemotypes as potential TRPC6 ligands. Testable hypotheses are proposed, along with structure–activity relationship (SAR) guidelines, to inform experimental validation and guide the design of next-generation analogs.