This paper reports a comparison of calculated molecular properties and of 2D fragment bit-strings when used for the selection of structurally diverse subsets of a file of 44295 compounds. MaxMin dissimilarity-based selection and k-means clusterbased selection are used to select subsets containing between 1% and 20% of the file. Investigation of the numbers of bioactive molecules in the selected subsets suggest: that the MaxMin subsets are noticeably superior to the k-means subsets; that the property-based descriptors are marginally superior to the fragment-based descriptors; and that both approaches are noticeably superior to random selection.

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The assumption that drug repurposing efficiently delivers new drugs ignores the realities of drug development required to achieve regulatory approval.

Store-operated calcium (Ca 2+ ) entry is an important homeostatic mechanism in cells, whereby the release of Ca 2+ from intracellular endoplasmic reticulum stores triggers the activation of a Ca 2+ influx pathway. Mediated by Orai1, this Ca 2+ influx has specific and essential roles in biological processes as diverse as lactation to immunity. Although pharmacological inhibitors of this Ca 2+ influx mechanism have helped to define the role of store-operated Ca 2+ entry in many cellular events, the lack of isoform specific modulators and activators of Orai1 has limited our full understanding of these processes.Here we report the identification and synthesis of an Orai1 activity enhancer that concurrently potentiated Orai1 Ca 2+ -dependent inactivation (CDI). This unique enhancer of Orai1 had only a modest effect on Orai3 with weak inhibitory effects at high concentrations in intact MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The Orai1 enhancer heightened vascular smooth muscle cell migration induced by platelet-derived growth factor and the unique store-operated Ca 2+ entry pathway present in skeletal muscle cells. These studies show that IA65 is an exemplar for the translation and development of Orai isoform selective agents. The ability of IA65 to activate CDI demonstrates that agents can be developed that can enhance Orai1-mediated Ca 2+ influx but avoid the cytotoxicity associated with sustained Orai1 activation. IA65 and/or future analogues with similar Orai1-and CDIactivating properties could function to fine-tune physiological processes important in specific disease states, such as cellular migration and immune cell function.

Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) acting at the CRTH2 receptor (chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on Th2 cells) has been linked with a variety of allergic and other inflammatory diseases. We describe a family of indole-1-sulfonyl-3-acetic acids that are potent and selective CRTH2 antagonists that possess good oral bioavailability. The compounds may serve as novel starting points for the development of treatments of inflammatory disease such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis.

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Virtual screening methods using structure-based, pharmacophore-based and descriptor based protocols may be used to identify ligands for the G-protein coupled receptor target family. A complementary approach is the synthesis and screening of compound libraries designed using privileged motifs and/or based on validated hit molecules. A virtual screening approach based on molecular docking performed with GOLD using a templated homology model and a consensus scoring procedure can identify vasopressin 1a receptor antagonists. In a separate project a library design and synthesis approach based around validated hit GPCR ligands led to the identification of potent oxytocin antagonists. Subsequent optimisation of the initial library compounds has provided compounds that are now being evaluated in the clinic for the treatment of preterm labour.

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