Discovery of novel TACE inhibitors using graph convolutional network, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and Biological evaluation

The increasing utilization of deep learning models in drug repositioning has proven to be highly efficient and effective. In this study, we employed an integrated deep-learning model followed by traditional drug screening approach to screen a library of FDA-approved drugs, aiming to identify novel inhibitors targeting the TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE). TACE, also known as ADAM17, plays a crucial role in the inflammatory response by converting pro-TNF-α to its active soluble form and cleaving other inflammatory mediators, making it a promising target for therapeutic intervention in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Reference datasets containing active and decoy compounds specific to TACE were obtained from the DUD-E database. Using RDKit, a cheminformatics toolkit, we extracted molecular features from these compounds. We applied the GraphConvMol model within the DeepChem framework, which utilizes graph convolutional networks, to build a predictive model based on the DUD-E datasets. Our trained model was subsequently used to predict the TACE inhibitory potential of FDA-approved drugs. From these predictions, Vorinostat was identified as a potential TACE inhibitor. Moreover, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation were conducted to validate these findings, using BMS-561392 as a reference TACE inhibitor. Vorinostat, originally an FDA-approved drug for cancer treatment, exhibited strong binding interactions with key TACE residues, suggesting its repurposing potential. Biological evaluation with RAW 264.7 cell confirmed the computational results, demonstrating that Vorinostat exhibited comparable inhibitory activity against TACE. In conclusion, our study highlights the capability of deep learning models to enhance virtual screening efforts in drug discovery, efficiently identifying potential candidates for specific targets such as TACE. Vorinostat, as a newly identified TACE inhibitor, holds promise for further exploration and investigation in the treatment of inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.