The Millennia-Long Development of Drugs Associated with the 80-Year-Old Artificial Intelligence Story: The Therapeutic Big Bang?

The journey of drug discovery (DD) has evolved from ancient practices to modern technology-driven approaches, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerging as a pivotal force in streamlining and accelerating the process. Despite the vital importance of DD, it faces challenges such as high costs and lengthy timelines. This review examines the historical progression and current market of DD alongside the development and integration of AI technologies. We analyse the challenges encountered in applying AI to DD, focusing on drug design and protein-protein interactions. The discussion is enriched by presenting models that put forward the application of AI in DD. Three case studies are highlighted to demonstrate the successful application of AI in DD, including the discovery of a novel class of antibiotics and a small-molecule inhibitor that has progressed to phase II clinical trials. These cases underscore the potential of AI to identify new drug candidates and optimise the development process. The convergence of DD and AI embodies a transformative shift in the field, offering a path to overcome traditional obstacles. By leveraging AI, the future of DD promises enhanced efficiency and novel breakthroughs, heralding a new era of medical innovation even though there is still a long way to go.

Combination of Targeted Therapies for Colorectal Cancer Treatment.

The design of innovative therapeutic strategies enabling the selective destruction of tumor cells while sparing healthy tissues remains highly challenging in cancer therapy. Here, we show that the combination of two targeted therapies, including bevacizumab (Bev), and a ß-glucuronidase-responsive albumin-binding prodrug of monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), is efficient for the treatment of colorectal cancer implanted in mice. This combined therapy produces a therapeutic activity superior to that of the association of FOLFOX and Bev currently used to treat patients with this pathology. The increased anticancer efficacy is due to either a synergistic or an additive effect between Bev and MMAE selectively released from the glucuronide prodrug in the tumor microenvironment. Since numerous drug delivery systems such as antibody-drug conjugates employ MMAE as a cytotoxic payload, this finding may be of great interest for improving their therapeutic index by combining them with Bev, particularly for the therapy of colorectal cancer.

The Importance of Length and Flexibility of Macrocycle-Containing Molecular Translocators for the Synthesis of Improbable [2]Rotaxanes.

This work reports on the use of molecular translocators to capture a dibenzo-24-crown-8 (DB24C8) and then release it onto targeted molecular axles to afford, after removal of the translocator, [2]rotaxanes that do not hold any template site. Various translocators were studied and successfully aided the synthesis, with more or less efficacy, of [2]rotaxanes of different lengths. During the releasing step, the DB24C8 macrocycle shuttles along the thread, and the localization of the macrocycle might be driven by steric repulsion on the translocator part and/or electronic attraction of the targeted part of the axle to be encircled, which depends on both the nature of the translocator and the targeted thread to be encircled.

How Secondary and Tertiary Amide Moieties are Molecular Stations for Dibenzo-24-crown-8 in [2]Rotaxane Molecular Shuttles?

Interlocked molecular machines like [2]rotaxanes are intriguing aesthetic molecules. The control of the localization of the macrocycle, which surrounds a molecular axle, along the thread leads to translational isomers of very different properties. Although many moieties have been used as sites of interactions for crown ethers, the very straightforwardly obtained amide motif has more rarely been envisaged as molecular station. In this article, we report the use of secondary and tertiary amide moieties as efficient secondary molecular station in pH-sensitive molecular shuttles. Depending on the N-substitution of the amide station, and on deprotonation or deprotonation-carbamoylation, the actuation of the molecular machinery differs accordingly to very distinct interactions between the axle and the DB24C8.

Synthesis of a pH-Sensitive Hetero[4]Rotaxane Molecular Machine that Combines [c2]Daisy and [2]Rotaxane Arrangements.

The synthesis of a novel pH-sensitive hetero[4]rotaxane molecular machine through a self-sorting strategy is reported. The original tetra-interlocked molecular architecture combines a [c2]daisy chain scaffold linked to two [2]rotaxane units. Actuation of the system through pH variation is possible thanks to the specific interactions of the dibenzo-24-crown-8 (DB24C8) macrocycles for ammonium, anilinium, and triazolium molecular stations. Selective deprotonation of the anilinium moieties triggers shuttling of the unsubstituted DB24C8 along the [2]rotaxane units.

Active Esters as Pseudostoppers for Slippage Synthesis of [2]Pseudorotaxane Building Blocks: A Straightforward Route to Multi-Interlocked Molecular Machines.

The efficient synthesis and very easy isolation of dibenzo[24]crown-8-based [2]pseudorotaxane building blocks that contain an active ester motif at the extremity of the encircled molecular axle and an ammonium moiety as a template for the dibenzo[24]crown-8 is reported. The active ester acts both as a semistopper for the [2]pseudorotaxane species and as an extensible extremity. Among the various investigated active ester moieties, those that allow for the slippage process are given particular focus because this strategy produces fewer side products. Extension of the selected N-hydroxysuccinimide ester based pseudorotaxane building block by using either a mono- or a diamino compound, both containing a triazolium moiety, is also described. These provide a pH-dependent two-station [2]rotaxane molecular machine and a palindromic [3]rotaxane molecular machine, respectively. Molecular machinery on both interlocked compounds through variation of pH was studied and characterized by means of NMR spectroscopy.

Reverse Anomeric Effect in Large-Amplitude Pyridinium Amide-Containing Mannosyl [2]Rotaxane Molecular Shuttles.

The reverse anomeric effect (RAE) was investigated in different mannosyl [2]rotaxane molecular shuttle isomers that contain dibenzo-24-crown-8 (DB24C8) as the macrocycle, and anilinium and pyridinium amide as molecular stations. The switching on or off of the RAE was possible depending on both the pyridinium amide motif and the localization of the DB24C8 along the thread. The (1) C4 mannopyranosyl chair-like conformation was observed in all the non-interlocked molecules because the anomeric carbon of the mannose is linked to the positively charged nitrogen of the pyridinium unit. In the protonated rotaxanes, the (1) C4 chair conformation of the mannose end remains because the DB24C8 resides around the best anilinium station, which is located at the other end of the axle. Upon deprotonation of the anilinium, the DB24C8 shuttles with a large-amplitude motion toward the pyridinium amide stations, where it interacts in a different fashion depending on the pyridinium motif. In one molecular shuttle, the RAE could be switched on or off with control at one end of the encircled thread upon protonation/deprotonation of the other end, through shuttling of the DB24C8.

Association of liquid-assisted grinding with aging accelerates the inherently slow slipping-on of a dibenzo-24-crown-8 over the N-hydroxysuccinimide ester of an ammonium-containing thread.

Solvent-free and solvent-less slipping-on of the dibenzo-24-crown-8 (DB24C8) over the N-hydroxysuccinimide end of an ammonium-containing thread has been studied and compared to the same reaction operated in solution. Slippage proved to be possible in solvent-free conditions, but the fastest slippage was obtained under heating when preliminary Liquid-Assisted Grinding (LAG) conditions were applied to the reactants followed by aging under an atmosphere of acetonitrile.