Diclofenac Identified as a Kynurenine 3-Monooxygenase Binder and Inhibitor by Molecular Similarity Techniques

In this study, we apply a battery of molecular similarity techniques to known inhibitors of kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO), querying each against a repository of approved, experimental, nutraceutical, and illicit drugs. Four compounds are assayed against KMO. Subsequently, diclofenac (also known by the trade names Voltaren, Voltarol, Aclonac, and Cataflam) has been confirmed as a human KMO protein binder and inhibitor in cell lysate with low micromolar K_D and IC₅₀, respectively, and low millimolar cellular IC₅₀. Hit to drug hopping, as exemplified here for one of the most successful anti-inflammatory medicines ever invented, holds great promise for expansion into new disease areas and highlights the not-yet-fully-exploited potential of drug repurposing.