Druggable pockets and binding site centric chemical space: a paradigm shift in drug discovery

Drug Discov Today. 2010 Aug;15(15-16):656-67. doi: 10.1016/j.drudis.2010.05.015. Epub 2010 Jun 4.

Abstract

Detection, comparison and analyses of binding pockets are pivotal to structure-based drug design endeavors, from hit identification, screening of exosites and de-orphanization of protein functions to the anticipation of specific and non-specific binding to off- and anti-targets. Here, we analyze protein-ligand complexes and discuss methods that assist binding site identification, prediction of druggability and binding site comparison. The full potential of pockets is yet to be harnessed, and we envision that better understanding of the pocket space will have far-reaching implications in the field of drug discovery, such as the design of pocket-specific compound libraries and scoring functions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • Drug Delivery Systems*
  • Drug Design*
  • Drug Discovery / methods
  • Ligands
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations / chemistry
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding
  • Small Molecule Libraries / chemistry

Substances

  • Ligands
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations
  • Small Molecule Libraries