Molecular glue-mediated targeted protein degradation: A novel strategy in small-molecule drug development

• Published in: iScience Vol. 27; no. 9; p. 110712
• Main Authors: Tan, Xueqiang, Huang, Zuyi, Pei, Hairun, Jia, Zongchao, Zheng, Jimin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 20.09.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied chemistry; Biochemistry; Biological sciences; Chemistry; Natural sciences; Review; Chemistry; Biological sciences; Biochemistry; Natural sciences; Applied chemistry
• ISSN: 2589-0042; 2589-0042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110712

Small-molecule drugs are effective and thus most widely used. However, their applications are limited by their reliance on active high-affinity binding sites, restricting their target options. A breakthrough approach involves molecular glues, a novel class of small-molecule compounds capable of inducing protein-protein interactions (PPIs). This opens avenues to target conventionally undruggable proteins, overcoming limitations seen in conventional small-molecule drugs. Molecular glues play a key role in targeted protein degradation (TPD) techniques, including ubiquitin-proteasome system-based approaches such as proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) and molecular glue degraders and recently emergent lysosome system-based techniques like molecular degraders of extracellular proteins through the asialoglycoprotein receptors (MoDE-As) and macroautophagy degradation targeting chimeras (MADTACs). These techniques enable an innovative targeted degradation strategy for prolonged inhibition of pathology-associated proteins. This review provides an overview of them, emphasizing the clinical potential of molecular glues and guiding the development of molecular-glue-mediated TPD techniques. [Display omitted] Natural sciences; Chemistry; Applied chemistry; Biological sciences; Biochemistry