Search for acetylcholinesterase inhibitors by computerized screening of approved drug compounds

This article presents the results of computational screening of approved drug compounds to find new inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme that plays a key role in the regulation of neurotransmission and cognitive functions. Using molecular docking and quantum chemical postprocessing methods, the authors conducted a virtual screening of a library of 2909 drug compounds approved for clinical use from two ZINC database libraries. The screening process employed the SOL docking program with MMFF94 force field and genetic algorithms for global optimization, targeting the human AChE structure (PDB ID: 6O4W). As a result of the docking, 211 of the most promising ligands were selected for calculating their enthalpy of binding to AChE using quantum chemical calculations. Based on the analysis of the free energy of binding estimated by docking score and the enthalpy of binding calculated using the quantum-chemical PM7 method with the COSMO solvent model, 16 of the most promising candidates for the role of AChE inhibitors were identified. Notable candidates include Pixantrone, Guanfacine and Hydroxystilbamidine. These compounds, although not previously known as AChE inhibitors, represent diverse chemical classes including substituted thiophenes, pyridines, and fused nitrogen-containing heterocycles, showing high potential for treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.