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The most common linkers in bioactive molecules and their bioisosteric replacement network
Peter Ertl1, Eva Altmann1, Sophie Racine1
1Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.
This study identifies and analyzes common linkers in bioactive molecules, introducing a novel similarity search method. It provides insights into linker roles, aiding medicinal chemists in drug design and optimization.
Area of Science:
- Medicinal Chemistry
- Cheminformatics
- Computational Drug Design
Background:
- Bioactive molecules predominantly feature rings, substituents, and linkers.
- Existing research extensively covers rings and substituents, but neglects linkers.
- Linkers are crucial structural components in drug discovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the research gap concerning linkers in bioactive molecules.
- To identify and analyze the properties of common linkers.
- To develop a linker similarity search method and explore bioisosteric replacements.
Main Methods:
- Identification and analysis of common linkers in bioactive molecules.
- Development of a similarity search algorithm for linkers.
- Generation of a bioisosteric replacement network using medicinal chemistry literature data.
Main Results:
- Characterization of prevalent linker structures and their properties.
- Introduction of a novel method for assessing linker similarity.
- Creation of a graphical representation of the linker bioisosteric network.
Conclusions:
- Linkers play a significant, yet understudied, role in bioactive molecule structure and function.
- The developed methods and data facilitate a deeper understanding of linkers.
- This work supports medicinal chemists in selecting optimal linkers for drug development projects.
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