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Current Status of Oligonucleotide-Based Protein Degraders. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15030765. [PMID: 36986626 PMCID: PMC10055846 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15030765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have long been considered undruggable, mainly because they lack ligand-binding sites and are equipped with flat and narrow protein surfaces. Protein-specific oligonucleotides have been harnessed to target these proteins with some satisfactory preclinical results. The emerging proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology is no exception, utilizing protein-specific oligonucleotides as warheads to target TFs and RBPs. In addition, proteolysis by proteases is another type of protein degradation. In this review article, we discuss the current status of oligonucleotide-based protein degraders that are dependent either on the ubiquitin–proteasome system or a protease, providing a reference for the future development of degraders.
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52
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O' Donovan DH, De Fusco C, Kuhnke L, Reichel A. Trends in Molecular Properties, Bioavailability, and Permeability across the Bayer Compound Collection. J Med Chem 2023; 66:2347-2360. [PMID: 36752336 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
For oral drugs, medicinal chemists aim to design compounds with high oral bioavailability, of which permeability is a key determinant. Taking advantage of >2000 compounds tested in rat bioavailability studies and >20,000 compounds tested in Caco2 assays at Bayer, we have examined the molecular properties governing bioavailability and permeability. In addition to classical parameters such as logD and molecular weight, we also investigated the relationship between calculated pKa and permeability. We find that neutral compounds retain permeability up to a molecular weight limit of 700, while stronger acids and bases are restricted to weights of 400-500. We also investigate trends for common properties such as hydrogen bond donors and acceptors, polar surface area, aromatic ring count, and rotatable bonds, including compounds which exceed Lipinski's rule of five (Ro5). These property-structure relationships are combined to provide design guidelines for bioavailable drugs in both traditional and "beyond rule of 5" (bRo5) chemical space.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lara Kuhnke
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Bayer AG, 13342 Berlin, Germany
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53
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Li X, Liu Q, Xie X, Peng C, Pang Q, Liu B, Han B. Application of Novel Degraders Employing Autophagy for Expediting Medicinal Research. J Med Chem 2023; 66:1700-1711. [PMID: 36716420 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) technology is based on a unique pharmacological mechanism that has profoundly revolutionized medicinal research by overcoming limitations associated with traditional small-molecule drugs. Autophagy, a mechanism for intracellular waste disposal and recovery, is an important biological process in medicinal research. Recently, studies have demonstrated that several emerging autophagic degraders can treat human diseases. Herein we summarize the progress in medicinal research on autophagic degraders, including autophagosome-tethering compounds (ATTEC), autophagy-targeting chimeras (AUTAC), and AUTOphagy-TArgeting chimeras (AUTOTAC), for treating human diseases. These autophagic degraders exhibit excellent potential for treating neurodegenerative diseases. Our research on autophagic degraders provides a new avenue for medicinal research on TPD via autophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy and College of Medical Technology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Qian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy and College of Medical Technology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Xin Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy and College of Medical Technology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Cheng Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy and College of Medical Technology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Qiwen Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy and College of Medical Technology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Bo Han
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy and College of Medical Technology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
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54
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Wang Y, Li Z, Mo F, Chen-Mayfield TJ, Saini A, LaMere AM, Hu Q. Chemically engineering cells for precision medicine. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:1068-1102. [PMID: 36633324 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00142j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Cell-based therapy holds great potential to address unmet medical needs and revolutionize the healthcare industry, as demonstrated by several therapeutics such as CAR-T cell therapy and stem cell transplantation that have achieved great success clinically. Nevertheless, natural cells are often restricted by their unsatisfactory in vivo trafficking and lack of therapeutic payloads. Chemical engineering offers a cost-effective, easy-to-implement engineering tool that allows for strengthening the inherent favorable features of cells and confers them new functionalities. Moreover, in accordance with the trend of precision medicine, leveraging chemical engineering tools to tailor cells to accommodate patients individual needs has become important for the development of cell-based treatment modalities. This review presents a comprehensive summary of the currently available chemically engineered tools, introduces their application in advanced diagnosis and precision therapy, and discusses the current challenges and future opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Wang
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA. .,Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.,Wisconsin Center for NanoBioSystems, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Zhaoting Li
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA. .,Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.,Wisconsin Center for NanoBioSystems, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Fanyi Mo
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
| | - Ting-Jing Chen-Mayfield
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
| | - Aryan Saini
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
| | - Afton Martin LaMere
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
| | - Quanyin Hu
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA. .,Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.,Wisconsin Center for NanoBioSystems, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
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55
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Moon Y, Jeon SI, Shim MK, Kim K. Cancer-Specific Delivery of Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) and Their Application to Cancer Immunotherapy. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15020411. [PMID: 36839734 PMCID: PMC9965039 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are rapidly emerging as a potential therapeutic strategy for cancer therapy by inducing the degradation of tumor-overexpressing oncogenic proteins. They can specifically catalyze the degradation of target oncogenic proteins by recruiting E3 ligases and utilizing the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Since their mode of action is universal, irreversible, recyclable, long-lasting, and applicable to 'undruggable' proteins, PROTACs are gradually replacing the role of conventional small molecular inhibitors. Moreover, their application areas are being expanded to cancer immunotherapy as various types of oncogenic proteins that are involved in immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments. However, poor water solubility and low cell permeability considerably restrict the pharmacokinetic (PK) property, which necessitates the use of appropriate delivery systems for cancer immunotherapy. In this review, the general characteristics, developmental status, and PK of PROTACs are first briefly covered. Next, recent studies on the application of various types of passive or active targeting delivery systems for PROTACs are introduced, and their effects on the PK and tumor-targeting ability of PROTACs are described. Finally, recent drug delivery systems of PROTACs for cancer immunotherapy are summarized. The adoption of an adequate delivery system for PROTAC is expected to accelerate the clinical translation of PROTACs, as well as improve its efficacy for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujeong Moon
- Department of Bioengineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
- Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Ik Jeon
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Ewha Woman’s University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Man Kyu Shim
- Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwangmeyung Kim
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Ewha Woman’s University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea
- Correspondence:
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56
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Yang C, Yang Y, Li Y, Ni Q, Li J. Radiotherapy-Triggered Proteolysis Targeting Chimera Prodrug Activation in Tumors. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:385-391. [PMID: 36542856 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c10177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) is an emerging protein degradation strategy, which shows excellent advantages in targeting those so-called "undruggable" proteins. However, the potential systemic toxicity of PROTACs caused by undesired off-tissue protein degradation may limit the application of PROTACs in clinical practice. Here we reported a radiotherapy-triggered PROTAC prodrug (RT-PROTAC) activation strategy to precisely and spatiotemporally control protein degradation through X-ray radiation. We demonstrated this concept by incorporating an X-ray inducible phenyl azide-cage to a bromodomain (BRD)-targeting PROTAC to form the first RT-PROTAC. The RT-PROTAC prodrug exhibits little activity but can be activated by X-ray radiation in vitro and in vivo. Activated RT-PROTAC degrades BRD4 and BRD2 with a comparable effect to the PROTAC degrader and shows a synergistic antitumor potency with radiotherapy in the MCF-7 xenograft model. Our work provides an alternative strategy to spatiotemporally control protein degradation in vivo and points to an avenue for reducing the undesired systemic toxicity of PROTACs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunrong Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Bioanalytical Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yuchen Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Bioanalytical Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yujie Li
- Center for Bioanalytical Chemistry, Hefei National Laboratory of Physical Science at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Qiankun Ni
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Bioanalytical Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jinghong Li
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Bioanalytical Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Center for Bioanalytical Chemistry, Hefei National Laboratory of Physical Science at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
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Pöstges F, Kayser K, Appelhaus J, Monschke M, Gütschow M, Steinebach C, Wagner KG. Solubility Enhanced Formulation Approaches to Overcome Oral Delivery Obstacles of PROTACs. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15010156. [PMID: 36678785 PMCID: PMC9863516 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15010156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
PROteolysis TArgeting Chimaeras (PROTACs) offer new opportunities in modern medicine by targeting proteins that are undruggable to classic inhibitors. However, due to their hydrophobic structure, PROTACs typically suffer from low solubility, and oral bioavailability remains challenging. At the same time, due to their investigative state, the drug supply is meager, leading to limited possibilities in terms of formulation development. Therefore, we investigated the solubility enhancement employing mini-scale formulations of amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) and liquisolid formulations of the prototypic PROTAC ARCC-4. Based on preliminary supersaturation testing, HPMCAS (L Grade) and Eudragit® L 100-55 (EL 100-55) were demonstrated to be suitable polymers for supersaturation stabilization of ARCC-4. These two polymers were selected for preparing ASDs via vacuum compression molding (VCM), using drug loads of 10 and 20%, respectively. The ASDs were subsequently characterized with respect to their solid state via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Non-sink dissolution testing revealed that the physical mixtures (PMs) did not improve dissolution. At the same time, all ASDs enabled pronounced supersaturation of ARCC-4 without precipitation for the entire dissolution period. In contrast, liquisolid formulations failed in increasing ARCC-4 solubility. Hence, we demonstrated that ASD formation is a promising principle to overcome the low solubility of PROTACs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Pöstges
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 3, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Kevin Kayser
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 3, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jan Appelhaus
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 3, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Marius Monschke
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 3, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Gütschow
- Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Christian Steinebach
- Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
- Correspondence: (C.S.); (K.G.W.); Tel.: +49-228-73-2308 (C.S.); +49-228-73-5271 (K.G.W.)
| | - Karl G. Wagner
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 3, 53121 Bonn, Germany
- Correspondence: (C.S.); (K.G.W.); Tel.: +49-228-73-2308 (C.S.); +49-228-73-5271 (K.G.W.)
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58
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Liu Z, Zhang Y, Xiang Y, Kang X. Small-Molecule PROTACs for Cancer Immunotherapy. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27175439. [PMID: 36080223 PMCID: PMC9458232 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27175439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Unsatisfactory physicochemical properties of macromolecular drugs seriously hinder their application in tumor immunotherapy. However, these problems can be effectively solved by small-molecule compounds. In the promising field of small-molecule drug development, proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) offers a novel mode of action in the interactions between small molecules and therapeutic targets (mainly proteins). This revolutionary technology has shown considerable impact on several proteins related to tumor survival but is rarely exploited in proteins associated with immuno-oncology up until now. This review attempts to comprehensively summarize the well-studied and less-developed immunological targets available for PROTAC technology, as well as some targets to be explored, aiming to provide more options and opportunities for the development of small-molecule-based tumor immunotherapy. In addition, some novel directions that can magnify and broaden the protein degradation efficiency are mentioned to improve PROTAC design in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Xin Kang
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-19138939183
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59
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Cao C, He M, Wang L, He Y, Rao Y. Chemistries of bifunctional PROTAC degraders. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:7066-7114. [PMID: 35916511 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00220e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) technology is a novel and promising therapeutic strategy using small molecules to induce ubiquitin-dependent degradation of proteins. It has received extensive attention from both academia and industry as it can potentially access previously inaccessible targets. However, the design and optimization of PROTACs present big challenges for researchers, and the general strategy for its development and optimization is a lot of trial and error based on experience. This review highlights the important advances in this rapidly growing field and critical limitations of the traditional trial-and-error approach to developing PROTACs by analyzing numerous representative examples of PROTACs development. We summarize and analyze the general principles and strategies for PROTACs design and optimization from the perspective of chemical structure design, and propose potential future pathways to facilitate the development of PROTACs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoguo Cao
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China. .,Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Ming He
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
| | - Liguo Wang
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
| | - Yuna He
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
| | - Yu Rao
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
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