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April 27, 2026Scientific Reports0 citationsOpen Access

Exploring potential VEGF receptor 2 inhibitors: a molecular modeling and pharmacophore-based screening approach

MMMatteo MozzicafreddoDBDevis BenfaremoSASilvia Agarbati

Key Result

PubChem-143070699 emerged as the most promising VEGF receptor 2 inhibitor candidate from a virtual screen of 450 million compounds, demonstrating a predicted binding affinity of 1.32 nM.

Key Points

  • The study aims to identify novel ligands for VEGF receptor 2 to develop targeted therapies for associated conditions.
  • Performed pharmacophore-based screening of approximately 450 million compounds using the Pharmit server.
  • Evaluated candidate ligands through molecular modeling tools including docking, dynamics, and quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis.
  • Identified a top complex with predicted nanomolar affinity matching the pharmacophore model.
  • The best candidate ligand exhibited predicted nanomolar affinity towards VEGFR2.
  • Structural insights suggest potential for advancing therapies targeting cancer and fibrosis-related diseases.
  • Experimental validation is necessary to confirm the mechanism of action for identified inhibitors.

Structured PICO

P
Population
Computational model of human intracellular VEGF receptor 2 (PDB ID: 2XIR)
I
Intervention
Pharmacophore-based virtual screening of approximately 450 million compounds, followed by molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and 3D-QSAR analysis of 53 selected candidate ligands
O
Outcome
Predicted binding affinity and complex stability with human VEGFR2 tyrosine kinasesurrogate

Computational screening and molecular dynamics identified PubChem-143070699 as a highly stable, nanomolar-affinity candidate for VEGFR2 inhibition, providing structural insights for future drug development.

Limitations

  • Experimental evidence remains mandatory to validate the computational predictions.
  • The CoMFA model was developed using activity values estimated from docking scores rather than experimental biological data.
  • The relatively small and structurally homogeneous dataset limits the robustness and generalizability of the 3D-QSAR model.
  • Low q² values obtained for the CoMFA models indicate limited internal predictive robustness.
  • Experimental evidence remains mandatory to decipher the mechanisms underlying VEGFR2 inhibitors
  • CoMFA model was developed using activity values estimated from docking scores rather than experimental biological data
  • Relatively small and structurally homogeneous dataset limits the robustness and generalizability of the model
  • q² values obtained for the CoMFA models were low, indicating limited internal predictive robustness

Abstract

The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor 2, a membrane tyrosine kinase receptor activated by VEGF-A, triggers endothelial cell proliferation, migration, survival, and angiogenesis. With the aim of identifying additional new ligands or acquiring novel information to craft potent drugs, the focus of this study was to point to this macromolecule as to a possible target for selective modulators or inhibitors. Using the Pharmit server, pharmacophore-based screening of about 450 million compounds was performed, yielding candidate ligands evaluated through molecular modeling tools such as molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and 3D quantitative structure–activity relationship analysis. The best complex, PubChem-143070699/VEGFR2, matched the proposed pharmacophore model and predicted nanomolar affinity. While experimental evidence remains mandatory to decipher the mechanisms underlying VEGFR2 inhibitors, the predicted structural insights gleaned from this research hold promise for advancing the development of increasingly potent and precisely targeted therapies for VEGFR-associated conditions, such as cancer and fibrosis-related diseases.

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Cite This Study

Mozzicafreddo et al. (2026) studied VEGFR-associated conditions (cancer and fibrosis-related diseases). PubChem-143070699 was evaluated on Predicted binding affinity to human VEGFR2 tyrosine kinase. PubChem-143070699 emerged as the most promising VEGF receptor 2 inhibitor candidate from a virtual screen of 450 million compounds, demonstrating a predicted binding affinity of 1.32 nM.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69eefd15fede9185760d3d82https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-49187-7
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