Targeted Protein Degradation for Infectious Diseases: from Basic Biology to Drug Discovery

• Published in: ACS bio & med chem au Vol. 3; no. 1; pp. 32 - 45
• Main Authors: Espinoza-Chávez, Rocío Marisol, Salerno, Alessandra, Liuzzi, Anastasia, Ilari, Andrea, Milelli, Andrea, Uliassi, Elisa, Bolognesi, Maria Laura
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 15.02.2023
• Subjects: ubiquitin proteasome system; PROTACs; anti-infective drug discovery; pathogens; Targeted protein degradation; infectious diseases
• ISSN: 2694-2437; 2694-2437
• DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomedchemau.2c00063

Targeted protein degradation (TPD) is emerging as one of the most innovative strategies to tackle infectious diseases. Particularly, proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC)-mediated protein degradation may offer several benefits over classical anti-infective small-molecule drugs. Because of their peculiar and catalytic mechanism of action, anti-infective PROTACs might be advantageous in terms of efficacy, toxicity, and selectivity. Importantly, PROTACs may also overcome the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Furthermore, anti-infective PROTACs might have the potential to (i) modulate “undruggable” targets, (ii) “recycle” inhibitors from classical drug discovery approaches, and (iii) open new scenarios for combination therapies. Here, we try to address these points by discussing selected case studies of antiviral PROTACs and the first-in-class antibacterial PROTACs. Finally, we discuss how the field of PROTAC-mediated TPD might be exploited in parasitic diseases. Since no antiparasitic PROTAC has been reported yet, we also describe the parasite proteasome system. While in its infancy and with many challenges ahead, we hope that PROTAC-mediated protein degradation for infectious diseases may lead to the development of next-generation anti-infective drugs.