Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41126427›Full record

ArticleCurrent drug targets2026

Rationally Engineered Small Molecules: Pharmacophore Modeling and Molecular Docking Studies Targeting Toxic Polyglutamine (PolyQ) Repeats in Huntington's Disease.

Jangampalli Adi Pradeepkiran, Amardev Rajesh Vatapatri, Philip Irwin Motakatla, Bhargavi Pasupuleti, Manne Munikumar

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Article in Current drug targets, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Jangampalli Adi PradeepkiranDepartment of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4678-6443
Amardev Rajesh VatapatriDepartment of Biotechnology, Acharya Ngarjuna University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Philip Irwin MotakatlaDepartment of Biology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA.
Bhargavi PasupuletiDepartment of Biology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA.
Manne MunikumarBioinformatics Division, Manna Biotech Private Limited, Bapuji Nagar, Main Road Nacharam, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500076, India.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionHuntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by the accumulation of mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) with expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) tracts. These aggregates contribute to neuronal toxicity and disease progression. Targeting aggregation, especially at the N-terminal domain (N17), may offer a therapeutic strategy. This study aims to identify potential small-molecule inhibitors that can bind to aggregation-prone regions of mHTT using computational methods.

methodsWe characterized polyQ repeat regions and the N17 domain using CASTp to identify active sites. Pharmacophore models were generated using LigandScout based on the glutamate inhibitor 6-Diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON). Structurally similar ligands were screened from PubChem. Ten candidates were selected and evaluated through molecular docking. ADME/Toxicity and drug-likeness analyses were performed to assess pharmacokinetic suitability.

resultsTen DON-like ligands showed favorable pharmacophore features. Docking studies identified five compounds with strong binding affinities and key interactions with the polyQ region. These top candidates also demonstrated acceptable ADMET profiles and drug-likeness. DISCUSSION: The five lead compounds identified in this study demonstrate potential to interfere with mHTT aggregation, a key pathological feature of HD. Their favorable binding and pharmacokinetic properties support their candidacy for further development. However, in silico predictions require experimental validation. Future in vitro and in vivo studies are essential to confirm their efficacy and safety.

conclusionThis study presents five promising small-molecule inhibitors for HD, laying the groundwork for future therapeutic development targeting mHTT aggregation.

Indexed as

Huntingtin ProteinHuntington DiseasePeptidesSmall Molecule LibrariesHumansLigandsMolecular Docking SimulationPharmacophoreHTT protein, humanHuntingtin ProteinLigandsPeptidespolyglutamineSmall Molecule LibrariesHuntington's diseaseligandsmolecular docking studiesmutant huntingtinpharmacophorepolyglutamine

Identifiers

PMID41126427

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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.