Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37142585›Full record

ArticleNature communications2023

Chemistry-intuitive explanation of graph neural networks for molecular property prediction with substructure masking.

Zhenxing Wu, Jike Wang, Hongyan Du, Dejun Jiang, Yu Kang, Dan Li, Peichen Pan, Yafeng Deng, Dongsheng Cao, Chang-Yu Hsieh and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
44citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

44 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Zhenxing WuInnovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, P.R. China.
Jike WangInnovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, P.R. China.
Hongyan DuInnovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, P.R. China.
Dejun JiangInnovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, P.R. China.ORCID 0000-0002-2035-5074
Yu KangInnovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, P.R. China.ORCID 0000-0002-0999-8802
Dan LiInnovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, P.R. China.
Peichen PanInnovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, P.R. China.ORCID 0000-0003-1152-7759
Yafeng DengCarbonSilicon AI Technology Co., Ltd, Hangzhou, 310018, Zhejiang, P.R. China.
Dongsheng CaoXiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410004, Hunan, P.R. China. oriental-cds@163.com.ORCID 0000-0003-3604-3785
Chang-Yu HsiehInnovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, P.R. China. kimhsieh2@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-6242-4218
Tingjun HouInnovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, P.R. China. tingjunhou@zju.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0001-7227-2580

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Graph neural networks (GNNs) have been widely used in molecular property prediction, but explaining their black-box predictions is still a challenge. Most existing explanation methods for GNNs in chemistry focus on attributing model predictions to individual nodes, edges or fragments that are not necessarily derived from a chemically meaningful segmentation of molecules. To address this challenge, we propose a method named substructure mask explanation (SME). SME is based on well-established molecular segmentation methods and provides an interpretation that aligns with the understanding of chemists. We apply SME to elucidate how GNNs learn to predict aqueous solubility, genotoxicity, cardiotoxicity and blood-brain barrier permeation for small molecules. SME provides interpretation that is consistent with the understanding of chemists, alerts them to unreliable performance, and guides them in structural optimization for target properties. Hence, we believe that SME empowers chemists to confidently mine structure-activity relationship (SAR) from reliable GNNs through a transparent inspection on how GNNs pick up useful signals when learning from data.

Indexed as

Blood-Brain BarrierCardiotoxicityDNA DamageHumansNeural Networks, ComputerRecords

Identifiers

PMID37142585
PMCPMC10160109

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.