CSearch: chemical space search via virtual synthesis and global optimization

Abstract The two key components of computational molecular design are virtually generating molecules and predicting the properties of these generated molecules. This study focuses on an effective method for molecular generation through virtual synthesis and global optimization of a given objective f...

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Main Authors: Hakjean Kim, Seongok Ryu, Nuri Jung, Jinsol Yang, Chaok Seok
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2024-12-01
Series:Journal of Cheminformatics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13321-024-00936-8
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author Hakjean Kim
Seongok Ryu
Nuri Jung
Jinsol Yang
Chaok Seok
author_facet Hakjean Kim
Seongok Ryu
Nuri Jung
Jinsol Yang
Chaok Seok
author_sort Hakjean Kim
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The two key components of computational molecular design are virtually generating molecules and predicting the properties of these generated molecules. This study focuses on an effective method for molecular generation through virtual synthesis and global optimization of a given objective function. Using a pre-trained graph neural network (GNN) objective function to approximate the docking energies of compounds for four target receptors, we generated highly optimized compounds with 300–400 times less computational effort compared to virtual compound library screening. These optimized compounds exhibit similar synthesizability and diversity to known binders with high potency and are notably novel compared to library chemicals or known ligands. This method, called CSearch, can be effectively utilized to generate chemicals optimized for a given objective function. With the GNN function approximating docking energies, CSearch generated molecules with predicted binding poses to the target receptors similar to known inhibitors, demonstrating its effectiveness in producing drug-like binders. Scientific Contribution We have developed a method for effectively exploring the chemical space of drug-like molecules using a global optimization algorithm with fragment-based virtual synthesis. The compounds generated using this method optimize the given objective function efficiently and are synthesizable like commercial library compounds. Furthermore, they are diverse, novel drug-like molecules with properties similar to known inhibitors for target receptors.
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issn 1758-2946
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher BMC
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series Journal of Cheminformatics
spelling doaj-art-815d8210539b4efe8a2c68e680d910592025-08-20T02:30:59ZengBMCJournal of Cheminformatics1758-29462024-12-0116111310.1186/s13321-024-00936-8CSearch: chemical space search via virtual synthesis and global optimizationHakjean Kim0Seongok Ryu1Nuri Jung2Jinsol Yang3Chaok Seok4Department of Chemistry, Seoul National UniversityGalux IncDepartment of Chemistry, Seoul National UniversityGalux IncDepartment of Chemistry, Seoul National UniversityAbstract The two key components of computational molecular design are virtually generating molecules and predicting the properties of these generated molecules. This study focuses on an effective method for molecular generation through virtual synthesis and global optimization of a given objective function. Using a pre-trained graph neural network (GNN) objective function to approximate the docking energies of compounds for four target receptors, we generated highly optimized compounds with 300–400 times less computational effort compared to virtual compound library screening. These optimized compounds exhibit similar synthesizability and diversity to known binders with high potency and are notably novel compared to library chemicals or known ligands. This method, called CSearch, can be effectively utilized to generate chemicals optimized for a given objective function. With the GNN function approximating docking energies, CSearch generated molecules with predicted binding poses to the target receptors similar to known inhibitors, demonstrating its effectiveness in producing drug-like binders. Scientific Contribution We have developed a method for effectively exploring the chemical space of drug-like molecules using a global optimization algorithm with fragment-based virtual synthesis. The compounds generated using this method optimize the given objective function efficiently and are synthesizable like commercial library compounds. Furthermore, they are diverse, novel drug-like molecules with properties similar to known inhibitors for target receptors.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13321-024-00936-8Chemical space searchComputer-aided drug designGlobal optimizationVirtual synthesis
spellingShingle Hakjean Kim
Seongok Ryu
Nuri Jung
Jinsol Yang
Chaok Seok
CSearch: chemical space search via virtual synthesis and global optimization
Journal of Cheminformatics
Chemical space search
Computer-aided drug design
Global optimization
Virtual synthesis
title CSearch: chemical space search via virtual synthesis and global optimization
title_full CSearch: chemical space search via virtual synthesis and global optimization
title_fullStr CSearch: chemical space search via virtual synthesis and global optimization
title_full_unstemmed CSearch: chemical space search via virtual synthesis and global optimization
title_short CSearch: chemical space search via virtual synthesis and global optimization
title_sort csearch chemical space search via virtual synthesis and global optimization
topic Chemical space search
Computer-aided drug design
Global optimization
Virtual synthesis
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s13321-024-00936-8
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AT jinsolyang csearchchemicalspacesearchviavirtualsynthesisandglobaloptimization
AT chaokseok csearchchemicalspacesearchviavirtualsynthesisandglobaloptimization