Machine Learning and Computational Chemistry for the Endocannabinoid System

Abstract

Computational methods in medicinal chemistry facilitate drug discovery and design. In particular, machine learning methodologies have recently gained increasing attention. This chapter provides a structured overview of the current state of computational chemistry and its applications for the interrogation of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), highlighting methods in structure-based drug design, virtual screening, ligand-based quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) modeling, and de novo molecular design. We emphasize emerging methods in machine learning and anticipate a forecast of future opportunities of computational medicinal chemistry for the ECS.

Keywords: Computational Chemistry; De Novo Drug Design; Endocannabinoid System; Machine Learning; QSAR; Structure-Based Drug Design; Virtual Screening.