Targeting BRAFV600E in the treatment of CRC

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of BRAFV600E mutated cancers has led to the search and development of targeted therapies against BRAF mutation. Multiple cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC), have been linked to this mutation. While the currently available CRC drugs have shown initial promise, long-term use of these drugs could lead to the emergence of resistant CRC cells; therefore, drug repurposing provides a powerful strategy to increase the existing drug pool. This docking-based study’s aim was to find the possible compounds that could inhibit the BRAF protein and treat BRAFV600E mutated CRC. Three classes of drugs antihypertensive, anti-cholesterol and anti-diabetic drugs were explored. Molecular docking, followed by superimposition, analyzing protein-ligand interactions and comparison of their pharmacokinetic properties were done. The anti-hypertensive drug, Verapamil showed promising results as it demonstrated good binding affinity and interaction with the target protein. However, further in vitro studies and biological assays should be performed to elucidate Verapamil’s efficacy.