Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Diksha Choudhary, Amritpal Kaur, Pargat Singh, Gaurav Chaudhary, Rajwinder Kaur, Mohammad F. Bayan, Balakumar Chandrasekaran, Saeed M. Marji, Reema Ayman
Summary: This review article summarizes the mechanism, uses, advantages, disadvantages, challenges, and future development aspects of PROTACs as a drug strategy.
PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Chunlan Pu, Yu Tong, Yuanyuan Liu, Suke Lan, Shirui Wang, Guoyi Yan, Hongjia Zhang, Dan Luo, Xinyu Ma, Su Yu, Qing Huang, Rui Deng, Rui Li
Summary: PARP inhibitors may be effective in the treatment of BRCA-mutated TNBC, but have compromised effect on wild-type TNBC. This study identified a novel PROTACs C8 that exhibits therapeutic potential in wild-type TNBC cells.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Qi Jia, Yue Zhang, Feng Liu, Wanrong Dong, Lei Zhu, Fenglin Wang, Jian-Hui Jiang
Summary: This study proposes a new strategy for developing activatable PROTACs by caging the activator, which can specifically degrade histone deacetylase with minimal side effects. Experimental results demonstrate that the caged PROTAC can be activated in response to specific stimuli and exhibits efficient and specific degradation activity.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xiao-Li Zhou, Fang Zhao, Yong-Tao Xu, Yuan-Yuan Guan, Tong Yu, Yi-Zhe Zhang, Ying-Chao Duan, Yuan Zhao
Summary: Targeted protein degradation using proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) is an effective strategy for drug discovery, especially in cancer therapy. BET proteins, as therapeutic targets in cancer treatment, have been extensively studied and there have been recent advances in BET-targeting PROTACs.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shanique Alabi, Saul Jaime-Figueroa, Zhan Yao, Yijun Gao, John Hines, Kusal T. G. Samarasinghe, Lea Vogt, Neal Rosen, Craig M. Crews
Summary: This study developed a vemurafenib-based PROTAC that induces degradation of all classes of BRAF mutants without affecting wild-type RAF proteins. The new therapy demonstrates high selectivity and shows promising inhibitory effects on cancer cell growth in vivo.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nan Bai, Kristin M. Riching, Aman Makaju, Hao Wu, Timothy M. Acker, Shu-Ching Ou, Yaru Zhang, Xiaomeng Shen, Daryl N. Bulloch, Huan Rui, Bradford W. Gibson, Danette L. Daniels, Marjeta Urh, Brooke M. Rock, Sara C. Humphreys
Summary: PROTACs are novel drug molecules that can target previously undruggable proteins and promote their degradation. Computational approaches have been developed to study the mechanism of PROTAC-induced ternary complex formation, but evidence suggests that ubiquitination is a rate-limiting step in PROTAC-induced target protein degradation. In this study, a structure-based computational approach was proposed to predict target protein ubiquitination induced by CRBN-based PROTACs by analyzing the available structural information.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Humera Memon, Bhoomika M. Patel
Summary: Ubiquitination defects have been found in various diseases. The balance between protein degradation and synthesis can be managed by designing Proteolysis Targeting Chimeric molecules (PTCm). Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) act as therapeutic tools by eliminating or reducing disease-causing proteins. Each PROTAC contains a target warhead, an E3 ligand, and a linker, which recruit E3 ligases and utilize the Ubiquitin Proteasome System (UPS) to target the degradation of specific proteins. This degradation offers several advantages over inhibition.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jieqiong You, Ying Wang, Haifeng Chen, Fang Jin
Summary: As an essential mediator of inflammation and innate immunity, RIPK2 plays a significant role in transducing signaling downstream of NOD-like receptors, leading to the activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Its involvement in tumorigenesis and malignant progression suggests its potential as an anti-tumor drug target. This article evaluates the feasibility of targeting RIPK2 and summarizes the research progress of RIPK2 inhibitors. Furthermore, it analyzes the possibility of applying small molecule RIPK2 inhibitors in anti-tumor therapy.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rui Li, Miao Liu, Zhenya Yang, Jiao Li, Yuxin Gao, Ruirong Tan
Summary: PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras (PROTACs) is an innovative technique that selectively degrades target proteins via the ubiquitin-proteasome system, offering advantages over traditional protein inhibitor drugs in terms of efficacy, selectivity, and overcoming drug resistance in cancer therapy. In this review, we comprehensively discuss the historical milestones, structures, mechanisms, and application of PROTACs in targeting tumor-related targets. We also provide a list of representative PROTACs based on CRBN, VHL, MDM2, or cIAP1 E3 ligases, as well as those undergoing clinical trials for anti-cancer activity.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Sinan Ma, Jianai Ji, Yuanyuan Tong, Yuxuan Zhu, Junwei Dou, Xian Zhang, Shicheng Xu, Tianbao Zhu, Xiaoli Xu, Qidong You, Zhengyu Jiang
Summary: The article introduces the development of proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) technology and the advantages of non-small molecule PROTACs (NSM-PROTACs), and summarizes the progress of NSM-PROTACs so far.
ACTA PHARMACEUTICA SINICA B
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tuan M. Nguyen, Vedagopuram Sreekanth, Arghya Deb, Praveen Kokkonda, Praveen K. Tiwari, Katherine A. Donovan, Veronika Shoba, Santosh K. Chaudhary, Jaron A. M. Mercer, Sophia Lai, Ananthan Sadagopan, Max Jan, Eric S. Fischer, David R. Liu, Benjamin L. Ebert, Amit Choudhary
Summary: Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are capable of inducing the degradation of target proteins by bringing them close to E3 ligases. However, the widely used E3 ligase recruiter, pomalidomide, can also cause the degradation of other proteins, resulting in off-target effects. This study developed a high-throughput platform to investigate off-target degradation and identified several zinc-finger (ZF) proteins as off-targets of pomalidomide-based PROTACs. By modifying the pomalidomide analogues at the appropriate position, off-target degradation of ZF proteins was reduced. Applying this design principle, anaplastic lymphoma kinase oncoprotein-targeting PROTACs with enhanced potency and minimal off-target degradation were developed.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chunrong Yang, Yuchen Yang, Yujie Li, Qiankun Ni, Jinghong Li
Summary: Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) is an emerging protein degradation strategy that shows great potential in targeting difficult-to-drug proteins. This study introduces a radiotherapy-triggered PROTAC prodrug (RT-PROTAC) activation strategy for precise and spatiotemporal control of protein degradation through X-ray radiation. The activated RT-PROTAC effectively degrades target proteins and exhibits synergistic anticancer activity with radiotherapy. This research provides an alternative approach for controlling protein degradation in vivo, offering a potential solution to minimize the systemic toxicity of PROTACs.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xuelian Liu, Anjin Wang, Yuying Shi, Mengyuan Dai, Miao Liu, Hong-Bing Cai
Summary: The epigenetic regulation of gene functions is closely associated with cancer development and progression. Reprogramming the cancer epigenome landscape is a promising target therapy for treating cancer and reversing drug resistance. Proteolytic targeted chimeras (PROTACs) are emerging therapeutic modality that selectively degrade proteins via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Many PROTAC degraders have been designed in the field of epigenetic cancer therapy, and targeting epigenetic proteins with PROTACs can enhance target druggability and improve mechanistic understanding of cancer epigenetic regulation. This review focuses on the progress in developing PROTAC degraders and PROTAC drugs targeting epigenetics in cancer, and discusses challenges and future opportunities for this field.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Dan Wei, Hanlin Wang, Qinghe Zeng, Wenjing Wang, Bingbing Hao, Xule Feng, Peipei Wang, Ning Song, Weijuan Kan, Guifang Huang, Xiaoyu Zhou, Minjia Tan, Yubo Zhou, Ruimin Huang, Jia Li, Xiao-Hua Chen
Summary: TNBC is highly aggressive and clinically challenging due to limited treatment options. Targeting transcription-associated CDK9 with a novel degrader compound shows great promise in inhibiting TNBC cell growth and inducing apoptosis by downregulating transcriptional targets like MYC. This study establishes compound 45 as a potent and efficacious CDK9 degrader for potential targeted therapy in TNBC.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guangyan Du, Jie Jiang, Nathaniel J. Henning, Nozhat Safaee, Eriko Koide, Radoslaw P. Nowak, Katherine A. Donovan, Hojong Yoon, Inchul You, Hong Yue, Nicholas A. Eleuteri, Zhixiang He, Zhengnian Li, Hubert T. Huang, Jianwei Che, Behnam Nabet, Tinghu Zhang, Eric S. Fischer, Nathanael S. Gray
Summary: Targeted protein degradation (TPD) employs small molecules to recruit E3 ubiquitin ligases near the proteins of interest, leading to their degradation. In this study, we generated KEAP1-recruiting degraders using a KEAP1 inhibitor and successfully targeted BET family and FAK proteins. However, we found that KEAP1 had a narrow target scope as compared to CRBN-recruiting degraders. By linking the KEAP1-binding ligand to a CRBN-binding ligand, we developed a molecule that induced KEAP1 degradation but not CRBN degradation.
CELL CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
He Chen, Jing Liu, H. Umit Kaniskan, Wenyi Wei, Jian Jin
Summary: This study presents a general strategy for delivering IMiD-based molecular glues and PROTACs to FOLR1-expressing cancer cells, effectively degrading fusion proteins in cancer cells with the potential to ameliorate toxicity.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jing Liu, He Chen, H. Umit Kaniskan, Ling Xie, Xian Chen, Jian Jin, Wenyi Wei
Summary: A new therapeutic platform TF-PROTAC has been developed with selectivity to degrade target TFs and demonstrate anti-proliferative effects in cells. This platform holds promise as a universal strategy for targeting undruggable TFs.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhenxi Li, Jing Liu, Hiroyuki Inuzuka, Wenyi Wei
Summary: Kisspeptins, encoded by the KISS1 gene, play an important role in suppressing metastasis in certain types of cancers, but their physiological effects on cancer metastasis are context-dependent and still controversial. This article discusses the epigenetic mechanism regulating KISS1 gene expression, the context-dependent role of KISS1/KISS1R, the signaling pathways promoting or inhibiting metastasis, and the potential of targeting KISS1/KISS1R for anticancer therapeutics.
JOURNAL OF GENETICS AND GENOMICS
(2022)
Correction
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yunhua Peng, Jing Liu, Zhen Wang, Chunping Cui, Tiantian Zhang, Shuangxi Zhang, Peipei Gao, Zhanwu Hou, Huadong Liu, Jianping Guo, Jinfang Zhang, Yurong Wen, Wenyi Wei, Lingqiang Zhang, Jiankang Liu, Jiangang Long
CELL DEATH AND DIFFERENTIATION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yunhua Peng, Jing Liu, Zhen Wang, Chunping Cui, Tiantian Zhang, Shuangxi Zhang, Peipei Gao, Zhanwu Hou, Huadong Liu, Jianping Guo, Jinfang Zhang, Yurong Wen, Wenyi Wei, Lingqiang Zhang, Jiankang Liu, Jiangang Long
Summary: OTUD6A is a deubiquitinase that is specifically amplified and overexpressed in prostate cancer (PrCa), and it promotes prostatic tumorigenesis by deubiquitinating and stabilizing c-Myc oncoprotein. Genetic ablation of OTUD6A efficiently represses PrCa tumorigenesis in both cells and mouse models.
CELL DEATH AND DIFFERENTIATION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Fanye Meng, Chenxi Xu, Kwang-Su Park, H. Umit Kaniskan, Gang Greg Wang, Jian Jin
Summary: In this study, a first-in-class NSD2 proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) degrader was discovered, which effectively degraded NSD2 and CRBN. This compound was more effective in suppressing cancer cell growth compared to existing inhibitors and showed bioavailability in mice.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jing Liu, Xufen Yu, He Chen, H. Umit Kaniskan, Ling Xie, Xian Chen, Jian Jin, Wenyi Wei
Summary: A platform named TF-DUBTAC has been developed to selectively stabilize tumor suppressor transcription factors through linking a DNA oligonucleotide to a covalent ligand of the deubiquitinase OTUB1. This method successfully stabilized FOXO3A, p53, and IRF3 in cells, providing a potential therapeutic means to suppress tumorigenesis.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Ning Sun, Md Kabir, Youngeun Lee, Ling Xie, Xiaoping Hu, Julia Velez, Xian Chen, H. Umit Kaniskan, Jian Jin
Summary: Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a key glycolytic enzyme and biomarker of aggressive cancers. LDHA/B inhibitors have been developed, but here, researchers report the discovery of a LDH proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) degrader, compound 22 (MS6105), which potently degrades LDHA and LDHB in a time- and ubiquitin-proteasome system dependent manner. Compound 22 shows stronger inhibitory effects on pancreatic cancer cell growth compared to the parent LDH inhibitor, and it is bioavailable in mice through intraperitoneal injection. Overall, compound 22 could be a valuable tool for studying the pathophysiological functions of LDH in vitro and in vivo.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhen Wang, Jing Liu, He Chen, Xing Qiu, Ling Xie, H. Umit Kaniskan, Xian Chen, Jian Jin, Wenyi Wei
Summary: In this study, a nucleotide-based proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) was developed to degrade TRF1/2, which are key components in regulating telomere length. The prototype telomere-targeting chimeras (TeloTACs) efficiently degraded TRF1/2 and resulted in telomere shortening, inhibiting cancer cell proliferation.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jing Liu, Xia Bu, Chen Chu, Xiaoming Dai, John M. Asara, Piotr Sicinski, Gordon J. Freeman, Wenyi Wei
Summary: The protein arginine methyltransferase PRMT1 suppresses the anti-tumor immune response by methylating cGAS and preventing its dimerization. Inhibition of PRMT1 activates the cGAS/STING-dependent DNA sensing signaling and increases the expression of interferon response genes, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and tumoral PD-L1. Combination therapy of PRMT1 inhibitor with anti-PD-1 antibody enhances the anti-tumor therapeutic efficacy.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhen Wang, Jing Liu, Xing Qiu, Dingpeng Zhang, Hiroyuki Inuzuka, Li Chen, He Chen, Ling Xie, H. Umit Kaniskan, Xian Chen, Jian Jin, Wenyi Wei
Summary: This study presents a novel strategy, methyl-proteolysis-targeting chimera (methyl-PROTAC), for manipulating epigenetic factors by designing a modified nucleotide-based degradation approach. It has the potential to degrade undruggable epigenetic regulatory proteins.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Md Kabir, Ning Sun, Xiaoping Hu, Tiphaine C. Martin, Jingjie Yi, Yue Zhong, Yan Xiong, H. Umit Kaniskan, Wei Gu, Ramon Parsons, Jian Jin
Summary: With the novel Acetylation Targeting Chimera (AceTAC) strategy, the p53 tumor suppressor protein can be acetylated successfully. The first p53Y220C AceTAC, MS78, recruits histone acetyltransferase p300/CBP to acetylate the p53Y220C mutant. MS78 effectively suppresses the proliferation and clonogenicity of cancer cells with the p53Y220C mutation and induces upregulation of TRAIL apoptotic genes and downregulation of DNA damage response pathways. In conclusion, the AceTAC strategy provides a generalizable platform for targeting proteins, such as tumor suppressors, via acetylation.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Md Kabir, Xufen Yu, H. Umit Kaniskan, Jian Jin
Summary: Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are small molecules that induce targeted degradation of proteins by forming ternary complexes with E3 ligases. They have the advantage of targeting both canonical and noncanonical functions of epigenetic targets, resulting in greater therapeutic efficacy. This review analyzes published PROTAC degraders of epigenetic writer, reader, and eraser proteins and discusses their mechanism of action and advantages in cancer treatment. Overall, pharmacological degradation of epigenetic targets has emerged as an effective strategy against cancer.
CHEMICAL SOCIETY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Brandon Dale, Chris Anderson, Kwang-Su Park, H. Umit Kaniskan, Anqi Ma, Yudao Shen, Chengwei Zhang, Ling Xie, Xian Chen, Xufen Yu, Jian Jin
Summary: EZH2 overexpression is associated with poor prognosis in TNBC. A novel EZH2 PROTAC degrader, MS8815, has been discovered and shown to effectively suppress the growth of TNBC cells.
ACS PHARMACOLOGY & TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Brandon Dale, Meng Cheng, Kwang-Su Park, H. Umit Kaniskan, Yue Xiong, Jian Jin
Summary: The development of small-molecule degraders such as proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) has enabled the targeting of previously considered undruggable oncoproteins. This review discusses recent advances in the field, with a focus on opportunities and challenges for future development.
NATURE REVIEWS CANCER
(2021)