Rational design of novel glycomimetics: inhibitors of concanavalin A

A virtual screening approach was used to identify new glycomimetics. The National Cancer Institute Diversity Set was docked into the carbohydrate binding site of the lectin concanavalin A (ConA). The resulting poses were analyzed and 19 molecules were tested for inhibition with an enzyme-linked lectin assay (ELLA). Eight of the 19 molecules inhibited ConA-carbohydrate binding. The two most potent inhibitors have IC(50) values that are an order of magnitude smaller than the monosaccharide methyl alpha-D-mannopyranoside.