Structure-based discovery of forsythoside A as an effective inhibitor to reduce the neurotoxicity of amyloid β

Abstract

Abstract Abnormal amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregation is a key factor in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology. Despite efforts to develop Aβ aggregation inhibitors, efficient screening strategies remain limited. Here, we initially applied structure-based virtual screening to target Aβ fibril ends, aiming to identify compounds that could effectively combat AD neurodegeneration. Using this approach, we screened a traditional Chinese medicine library with thousands of compounds, and selected high-scoring hits likely to inhibit fibril elongation or promote fibril depolymerization. Forsythoside A emerged as the most potent inhibitor, effectively reducing Aβ40 aggregation and disassembling pre-formed fibrils, as confirmed through biophysical assays and surface plasmon resonance analysis. Chemical kinetics further elucidated its inhibitory mechanism. In Caenorhabditis elegans, forsythoside A alleviated Aβ-induced toxicity and extended the lifespan of the AD transgenic models. Further virtual screening and experimental validation using a CNS-penetrant compound library confirmed the robustness of our strategy. Our study underscores the effectiveness of virtual screening in the identification of Aβ aggregation inhibitors and emphasizes the critical significance of targeting fibril ends.