Biomolecules (May 2024)

Virtual Screening of Small Molecules Targeting BCL2 with Machine Learning, Molecular Docking, and MD Simulation

  • Abtin Tondar,
  • Sergio Sánchez-Herrero,
  • Asim Kumar Bepari,
  • Amir Bahmani,
  • Laura Calvet Liñán,
  • David Hervás-Marín

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14050544
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 5
p. 544

Abstract

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This study aimed to identify potential BCL-2 small molecule inhibitors using deep neural networks (DNN) and random forest (RF), algorithms as well as molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to screen a library of small molecules. The RF model classified 61% (2355/3867) of molecules as ‘Active’. Further analysis through molecular docking with Vina identified CHEMBL3940231, CHEMBL3938023, and CHEMBL3947358 as top-scored small molecules with docking scores of −11, −10.9, and 10.8 kcal/mol, respectively. MD simulations validated these compounds’ stability and binding affinity to the BCL2 protein.

Keywords