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Faust TB, Donovan KA, Yue H, Chamberlain PP, Fischer ES. Small-Molecule Approaches to Targeted Protein Degradation. ANNUAL REVIEW OF CANCER BIOLOGY-SERIES 2021. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cancerbio-051420-114114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Many essential biological processes are regulated through proximity, from membrane receptor signaling to transcriptional activity. The ubiquitin-proteasome system controls protein degradation, with ubiquitin ligases as the rate-limiting step. Ubiquitin ligases are commonly controlled at the level of substrate recruitment and, therefore, by proximity. There are natural and synthetic small molecules that also operate through induced proximity. For example, thalidomide is effective in treating multiple myeloma and functions as a molecular glue that stabilizes novel protein-protein interactions between a ubiquitin ligase and proteins not otherwise targeted by the ligase, leading to neo-substrate degradation. Emerging data on new degrader molecules have uncovered diverse mechanisms distinct from molecular glues, which often mirror the regulatory mechanisms that control substrate-ligase proximity in nature. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of biological and synthetic regulation of protein degradation and share our view on how these diverse mechanisms have inspired novel therapeutic directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler B. Faust
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Katherine A. Donovan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Hong Yue
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | | | - Eric S. Fischer
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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152
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Zhang AX, Cassidy K, Dahl G, Moreau K, Pachl F, Zuhl AM. The Vital Role of Proteomics in Characterizing Novel Protein Degraders. SLAS DISCOVERY 2021; 26:518-523. [PMID: 33615886 DOI: 10.1177/2472555220985776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Mass spectrometry-based proteomics profiling is a discovery tool that enables researchers to understand the mechanisms of action of drug candidates. When applied to proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) such approaches provide unbiased perspectives of the binding, degradation selectivity, and mechanism related to efficacy and safety. Specifically, global profiling experiments can identify direct degradation events and assess downstream pathway modulation that may result from degradation or off-target inhibition. Targeted proteomics approaches can be used to quantify the levels of relevant E3 ligases and the protein of interest in cell lines and tissues of interest, which can inform the line of sight and provide insights on possible safety liabilities early in the project. Furthermore, proteomics approaches can be applied to understand protein turnover and resynthesis rates and inform on target tractability, as well as pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics understanding. In this perspective, we survey the literature around the impact of mass spectrometry-based proteomics in the development of PROTACs and present our envisioned proteomics cascade for supporting targeted protein degradation projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew X Zhang
- Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katelyn Cassidy
- Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Göran Dahl
- Structure, Biophysics, and Fragment-Based Lead Generation, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kevin Moreau
- Oncology Safety, Clinical Pharmacology and Safety Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Fiona Pachl
- Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrea M Zuhl
- Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Boston, MA, USA
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153
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Serapian SA, Triveri A, Marchetti F, Castelli M, Colombo G. Exploiting Folding and Degradation Machineries To Target Undruggable Proteins: What Can a Computational Approach Tell Us? ChemMedChem 2021; 16:1593-1599. [PMID: 33443306 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Advances in genomics and proteomics have unveiled an ever-growing number of key proteins and provided mechanistic insights into the genesis of pathologies. This wealth of data showed that changes in expression levels of specific proteins, mutations, and post-translational modifications can result in (often subtle) perturbations of functional protein-protein interaction networks, which ultimately determine disease phenotypes. Although many such validated pathogenic proteins have emerged as ideal drug targets, there are also several that escape traditional pharmacological regulation; these proteins have thus been labeled "undruggable". The challenges posed by undruggable targets call for new sorts of molecular intervention. One fascinating solution is to perturb a pathogenic protein's expression levels, rather than blocking its activities. In this Concept paper, we shall discuss chemical interventions aimed at recruiting undruggable proteins to the ubiquitin proteasome system, or aimed at disrupting protein-protein interactions in the chaperone-mediated cellular folding machinery: both kinds of intervention lead to a decrease in the amount of active pathogenic protein expressed. Specifically, we shall discuss the role of computational strategies in understanding the molecular determinants characterizing the function of synthetic molecules typically designed for either type of intervention. Finally, we shall provide our perspectives and views on the current limitations and possibilities to expand the scope of rational approaches to the design of chemical regulators of protein levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano A Serapian
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alice Triveri
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Filippo Marchetti
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Matteo Castelli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giorgio Colombo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, 27100, Pavia, Italy
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