Cancer Selective Target Degradation by Folate-Caged PROTACs

J Am Chem Soc. 2021 May 19;143(19):7380-7387. doi: 10.1021/jacs.1c00451. Epub 2021 May 10.

Abstract

PROTACs (proteolysis targeting chimeras) are an emerging class of promising therapeutic modalities that degrade intracellular protein targets by hijacking the cellular ubiquitin-proteasome system. However, potential toxicity of PROTACs in normal cells due to the off-tissue on-target degradation effect limits their clinical applications. Precise control of a PROTAC's on-target degradation activity in a tissue-selective manner could minimize potential toxicity/side-effects. To this end, we developed a cancer cell selective delivery strategy for PROTACs by conjugating a folate group to a ligand of the VHL E3 ubiquitin ligase, to achieve targeted degradation of proteins of interest (POIs) in cancer cells versus noncancerous normal cells. We show that our folate-PROTACs, including BRD PROTAC (folate-ARV-771), MEK PROTAC (folate-MS432), and ALK PROTAC (folate-MS99), are capable of degrading BRDs, MEKs, and ALK, respectively, in a folate receptor-dependent manner in cancer cells. This design provides a generalizable platform for PROTACs to achieve selective degradation of POIs in cancer cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Folic Acid / chemistry
  • Folic Acid / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Ligands
  • Molecular Structure
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Proteolysis / drug effects
  • Pyrrolidines / chemical synthesis
  • Pyrrolidines / chemistry
  • Pyrrolidines / pharmacology*
  • Thiazoles / chemical synthesis
  • Thiazoles / chemistry
  • Thiazoles / pharmacology*
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / metabolism

Substances

  • ARV-771
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Ligands
  • Pyrrolidines
  • Thiazoles
  • Folic Acid
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases