Identification by in silico and in vitro screenings of small organic molecules acting as reversible inhibitors of kallikreins

Netherton syndrome is caused by loss-of-function mutations in SPINK5 encoding the Kazal-type inhibitor LEKTI-1 leading to dysregulation of proteolytic cascades involving several kallikreins. We used both structure-based and ligand-based virtual screening computations to identify commercially available non-covalent inhibitors of human kallikrein 5 (hK5), a serine protease (trypsin-like) that plays a central role in the initiation of the molecular...