Integrated Computational and Experimental Insights Into MEK1/2 Inhibitors: Structural Validation, Docking, ADMET, Molecular Dynamics, and Anticancer Evaluation

This study explores the therapeutic potential of novel MEK1/2 inhibitors targeting the MAPK pathway, emphasizing their critical role in cancer progression. An integrated computational approach, including molecular docking, pharmacophore modeling, molecular dynamics simulations, and DFT analysis, was employed to evaluate the binding affinity, stability, and pharmacological properties of FDA-approved and experimental compounds. Structural validation of MEK1 (PDB ID: 1S9J) and MEK2 (PDB ID: 1S9I) revealed z-scores of -6.89 and -7.13, respectively, with 90.6% and 86.7% of residues in the most favored regions, confirming the reliability of the protein models. Docking studies identified RO5126766 as a lead compound, exhibiting binding energies of -10.1 kcal/mol with MEK1 and -9.5 kcal/mol with MEK2. Molecular dynamics simulations further demonstrated the stability of the RO5126766-MEK1 and RO5126766-MEK2 complexes, with RMSD values ranging from 0.95 to 4.22 Å. The in vitro anticancer assays highlighted the exceptional potency of RO5126766, with IC₅₀ values of 12.87 ± 98.36 nM against MCF-7 (hormone receptor-positive breast cancer), 15.08 ± 94.36 nM against MDA-MB-231 (triple-negative breast cancer), and 60.89 ± 70.58 nM against A549 (lung cancer). ADMET analysis confirmed high gastrointestinal absorption, favorable drug-likeness, and lack of blood-brain barrier permeability. In addition, DFT studies indicated an optimal HOMO-LUMO energy gap (0.15816 eV), chemical hardness (0.16189 eV), and strong molecular interactions corroborated by MEP analysis. Collectively, these findings establish RO5126766 as a potent and selective MEK1/2 inhibitor, demonstrating significant potential as a targeted therapeutic agent for aggressive and treatment-resistant cancers.