Inclusive Drug Designing of Novel Indole Derivatives using Rationale, Pharmacophore Mapping and Molecular Docking

The presence of insufficient insulin signaling in type 2 diabetes arises due to either insulin resistance or impaired insulin secretion, ultimately leading to elevated blood glucose levels, a condition known as hyperglycemia. Diabetes poses a pervasive worldwide challenge, with its prevalence steadily surging in both developed and developing nations. A promising avenue for improving the management of diabetes type 2 involves the exploration of glucokinase activators as an innovative therapeutic target. Notably, a recent breakthrough in this area has been the market approval granted by the Japanese FDA for the use of the innovative GKA, Dorzagliatin, in the treatment of diabetes type 2.

To augment the management of diabetes type 2 and mitigate the undesirable side effects linked to prolonged use of conventional medications, this research endeavor sought to create innovative glucokinase activators.

The ZINC database yielded a collection of 56 compounds, each showcasing a 40% structural similarity to 1-(phenylsulfonyl)-1H-indole-2-carboxylic acid. These compounds, all featuring the distinctive indole core, were meticulously selected for further investigation. Structural illustrations were crafted using ChemBioDraw Ultra, and 1.5.6 AutoDock Vina was for molecular docking. The Swiss ADME algorithm facilitated online log P predictions, while the software PKCSM was utilized to forecast the toxicity profiles of the leading compounds. DFT analysis was done to ensure the stability of compounds by using Gaussian 16 quantum chemistry software and Mulliken charge distributions used to optimize molecular geometries.

Among all the compounds, RS33 and RS37 exhibited the highest affinities for GK receptors, with the docking scores of -8.93 and -8.44 kcal/mol, respectively. These compounds follow Lipinski's Rule, indicating promising absorption and excretion profiles through the gastrointestinal tract. Compared to standard drugs Dorzagliatin (GKA) and MRK (co-crystallized ligand), both RS33 and RS37 demonstrate no AMES toxicity, skin sensitization, and hepatotoxicity. RS43 is the most stable compound as it has high ΔE, η, and χ in DFT analysis.

The novel-designed lead molecules demonstrate an enhanced pharmacokinetic profile, superior binding affinity, and minimal toxicity, based on computational study. These attributes make them promising candidates for further optimization as glucokinase activators.