[PROTAC image courtesy of Wikipedia]
PROteolysis TArgeting Chimera (PROTAC)* drugs emerged in 2001 as a novel therapeutic option for treating previously untreatable diseases. To date, no PROTAC drugs have earned U.S. FDA approval, but the technology has opened up a promising new chapter in drug discovery. PROTACs are being widely explored across both industry and academia and have expanded from treating cancer to immune disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, viral infections, etc.A PROTAC molecule consists of three components: a ligand binding to a target protein, a ligand binding to E3 ligase and a linker. Unlike conventional small molecules that block target proteins via inhibition, PROTACs bind specifically to target proteins and induce their degradation by leveraging the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). PROTACs’ binding process is referred to as a “chemical knockdown” approach.
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