Abstract
Increased research attention has been brought to non-enzymatic protein targeting agents as a new and effective strategy for advancing cancer treatment. To discover this class of new anticancer drugs, two molecular approaches targeting the non-enzymatic activities of proteins have shown promising experimental, preclinical, and clinical results. In the first approach, selective agents known as PROteolysis-TArgeting Chimeras (PROTACs) employ innate endogenous protein degradation machinery in cells to proteolyze the targeted protein. The combination of the highly selective PROTACs and exploitation of cellular protein degradation pathways provides the opportunity to treat diseases that were previously deemed incurable due to lack of enzymatic activities of the targeted proteins. The second approach targets protein-protein interactions (PPIs) as an alternative non-enzymatic route that alters the functional activities of protein complexes and thus significantly influence cancer cell fitness and survival. To efficiently identify potential chemical leads for these approaches, high-throughput screening (HTS) has been extremely valuable due to its ability to quickly screen large libraries of compounds. In this review paper, we will provide an overview of developing anti-cancer agents targeting non-enzymatic activities of proteins and the potential clinical impact of this new class of inhibitors.
Introduction
Traditional cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, surgical intervention, and radiation, all have significant drawbacks; these approaches lack specificity, produce undesirable side effects, and negatively impact healthy tissues in the process. To resolve these complications and improve effectiveness, cancer therapy research initiatives have shifted towards developing highly specific drugs that target individual molecular identifiers, allowing for the selective elimination of cancer cells. The first steps towards achieving this goal focused on identifying proteins that exhibit either altered enzymatic activity or altered enzymatic expression within cancer cells. Once identified, small molecule inhibitors were designed to bind at or near the active site of the enzyme. A diverse array of inhibitors that target kinase activity have shown positive results in clinical practice. The first U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved drug that used this approach was Imatinib (Gleevec), a Bcr-Abl kinase inhibitor that successfully treated Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (; ). This development served as the springboard for future drugs, with approximately over 60 kinase-inhibiting drugs receiving FDA approval as of 2023 (Table 1). In addition to kinase activity, enzymatic activity involving poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) has also served as an effective target for developing inhibitors, particularly for BRCA-mutated cancer cells.
TABLE 1
| Cancer targeted | Small molecule drug target | Small molecule drug | Molecular target | Clinical status | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia and gastrointestinal cancer | Bcr-Abl | Imatinib (Gleevec) | Tyrosine and serine/threonine Kinases | FDA approved in 2001 | |
| Non-small cell lung cancer | EGFR | Gefitinib (Iressa) | FDA approved in 2003 | ||
| Non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer | EGFR | Erlotinib (Tarceva) | FDA approved in 2005 | ||
| Renal cell carcinoma | VEGFR2,RET PDGFR, FLT-3, KIT, CSF-1 | Sunitinib (Sutent) | FDA approved in 2006 | ||
| Breast cancer | EGFR, HER2/neu | Lapatinib (Tykerb) | FDA approved in 2007 | ||
| Chronic myelogenous leukemia | Bcr-Abl KIT,LCK | Nilotinib (Tasigna) | FDA approved in 2007 | ||
| Hepatocellular carcinoma | B-Raf, VEGFR2 EGFR, PDGFR | Sorafenib (Nexavar) | FDA approved in 2007 | ||
| Renal cell carcinoma | mTOR | Temsirolimus (CCI-779) | FDA approved in 2007 | ||
| Renal cell carcinoma | mTOR | Everolimus (Afinitor) | FDA approved in 2009 | ||
| Renal cell carcinoma, soft tissue sarcoma | c-KIT, FGFR, PDGFR and VEGFR | Pazopanib (Votrient) | FDA approved in 2009 | ||
| Non-small cell Lung Cancer | HGFR | Crizotinib (Xalkori) | FDA approved in 2011 | ||
| Primary myelofibrosis | Jak1,Jak2 | Ruxolitinib (jafaki) | FDA approved in 2011 | ||
| Medullary thyroid cancer | VEGFR, EGFR,RET | Vandetanib (Caprelsa) | FDA approved in 2011 | ||
| Renal cell carcinoma | VEGFR1-3, cKIT, PDGFR | Axitinib (Inlyta) | FDA approved in 2012 | ||
| Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia | Src, Bcr-Abl | Bosutinib (Bosulif) | FDA approved in 2012 | ||
| Medullary thyroid cancer | c.Met, VEGFR2 | Cabozantinib (Cometriq) | FDA approved in 2012 | ||
| Chronic myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia | Bcr-Abl | Ponatinib (Iclusig) | FDA approved in 2012 | ||
| Metastatic colorectal cancer | VEGFR1-3, c-Kit, TIE-2, PDGFR-β, FGFR-1, RET, Raf-1, B-RAF | Regorafenib (Stivarga) | FDA approved in 2012 | ||
| Non-small cell lung cancer | ErbB1/2/4 | Afatinib (Tovok) | FDA approved in 2013 | ||
| B-RAF V600E/K-mutant melanoma, B-RAF 600E/K-mutant non-small cell lung cancer, anaplastic thyroid cancer | B-Raf | Dabrafenib (Tafinlar) | FDA approved in 2013 | ||
| Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, mantle cell lymphoma, Waldenström macroglobulinemia | BTK | Ibrutinib (Imbruvica) | FDA approved in 2013 | ||
| B-RAF V600E/K-mutant melanoma, B-RAF 600E/K-mutant non-small cell lung cancer | MEK1/2 | Trametinib (Mekinist) | FDA approved in 2013 | ||
| Anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small cell lung cancer | ALK | Ceritinib (Zykadia) | FDA approved in 2014 | ||
| Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis | FGFR1/2/3 | Nintedanib (Vargatef) | FDA approved in 2014 | ||
| Anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small cell lung cancer | ALK, RET | Alectinib (Alecensa) | FDA approved in 2015 | ||
| B-RAF V600E/K-mutant melanoma | MEK1/2 | Cobimetinib (Genentech) | FDA approved in 2015 | ||
| Thyroid cancer, renal cell carcinoma | VEGFR, RET | Lenvatinib (Lenvima) | FDA approved in 2015 | ||
| Non-small cell lung cancer with exon 19 deletion or exon 21 substitution | EGFR T970M | Osimertinib (AstraZeneca) | FDA approved in 2015 | ||
| Estrogen receptor- and HER2-positive breast cancers | CDK4/6 | Palbociclib (Ibrance) | FDA approved in 2015 | ||
| Combination therapy with an aromatase inhibitor, with Fulvestrant, or as a monotherapy for breast cancer | CDK4/6 | Abemaciclib (Verzenio) | FDA approved in 2017 | ||
| Mantle cell lymphomas, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, small lymphocytic lymphoma | BTK | Acalabrutinib (Calquence) | FDA approved in 2017 | ||
| ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer | ALK | Brigatinib (Alunbrig) | FDA approved in 2017 | ||
| Acute myeloid leukemia, mastocytosis, mast cell leukemia | Flt3 | Midostaurin (Rydapt) | FDA approved in 2017 | ||
| HER2-positive breast cancer | ErbB2/HER2 | Neratinib (Nerlynx) | FDA approved in 2017 | ||
| Breast cancer when in combination with aromatase inhibitor | CDK4/6 | Ribociclib (Kisqali) | FDA approved in 2017 | ||
| B-RAF V600E/K-mutant melanoma in combination with Encorafenib | MEK1/2 | Binimetinib (Mektovi) | FDA approved in 2018 | ||
| EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer | EGFR | Dacomitinib (Visimpro) | FDA approved in 2018 | ||
| B-RAF V600E/K-mutant melanoma in combination with Binimetinib | B-Raf | Encorafenib (Braftovi) | FDA approved in 2018 | ||
| Acute myeloid leukemia with FLT3 mutations | FLT3 | Gilteritinib (Xospata) | FDA approved in 2018 | ||
| Solid tumors with NTRK fusion proteins | TRKA/B/C | Larotrectinib (Vitrakvi) | FDA approved in 2018 | ||
| ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer | ALK | Lorlatinib (Lorbena) | FDA approved in 2018 | ||
| Glaucoma | ROCK1/2 | Netarsudil (Rhopressa) | FDA approved in 2018 | ||
| Solid tumors with NTRK fusion proteins, ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer | TRKA/B/C, ROS1 | Entrectinib (Ignyta) | FDA approved in 2019 | ||
| Urothelial bladder carcinoma | FGFR1/2/3/4 | Erdafitinib (Balversa) | FDA approved in 2019 | ||
| Myelofibrosis | JAK2 | Fedratinib (Inrebic) | FDA approved in 2019 | ||
| Tenosynovial giant cell tumors | CSF1R | Pexidartinib (Turalio) | FDA approved in 2019 | ||
| Mantle cell lymphoma | JAK1 | Zanubrutinib (Brukinsa) | FDA approved in 2019 | ||
| Gastrointestinal stromal tumor with PDGFRalpha exon 18 mutations | PDGFRalpha | Avapritinib (Ayvakit) | FDA approved in 2020 | ||
| Non-small cell lung cancer with MET exon 14 skipping | MET | Capmatinib (Tabrecta) | FDA approved in 2020 | ||
| Cholangiocarcinoma with FGFR2 fusions or other rearrangements | FGFR2 | Pemigatinib (Pemazyre) | FDA approved in 2020 | ||
| RET-fusion non-small cell lung cancer, medullary thyroid cancer, differentiated thyroid cancer | RET | Pralsetinib (Gavreto) | FDA approved in 2020 | ||
| Gastrointestinal stromal tumor with fourth-line treatment | Kit, PDGFRalpha | Ripretinib (Qinlock) | FDA approved in 2020 | ||
| RET fusion non-small cell lung cancer, RET mutant medullary thyroid cancer | RET | Selpercatinib (Retevmo) | FDA approved in 2020 | ||
| Type I neurofibromatosis | MEK1/2 | Selumetinib (Koselugo) | FDA approved in 2020 | ||
| HER1-positive breast cancer in combination for second-line treatment | ErbB2/HER2 | Tucatinib (Tukysa) | FDA approved in 2020 | ||
| Ph + chronic myeloid leukemia | BCR-Abl | Asciminib (Scemblix) | FDA approved in 2021 | , | |
| Cholangiocarcinomas with FGFR2 fusions or other rearrangements | FGFR2 | Infigratinib (Truseltiq) | FDA approved in 2021 | ||
| NSCLC with EGFR-positive exon 20 insertions | EGFR | Mobocertinib (Exkivity) | FDA approved in 2021 | ||
| Non-small cell lung cancer with MET mutations | MET | Tepotinib (Tepmetko) | FDA approved in 2021 | ||
| Renal cell carcinoma for third-line treatment | VEGFR2 | Tivozanib (Fotvida) | FDA approved in 2021 | ||
| Chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression | CDK4/6 | Trilaciclib (Cosela) | FDA approved in 2021 | ||
| Cholangiocarcinomas with FGFR2 fusions or other rearrangements | FGFR2 | Futibatinib (Lytgobi) | FDA approved in 2022 | ||
| Myelofibrosis | JAK2 | Pacritinib (Vonjo) | FDA approved in 2022 | , |
List of small molecule inhibitors targeting enzymatic activity.
While enzymatic targeting proteins have been successful in blocking the enzymatic domain of proteins involved in cancer survival, many proteins are complex and have both enzymatic and non-enzymatic domains. For instance, the majority of enzymes include both a catalytic domain where the respective substrate undergoes a chemical reaction as well as a regulatory domain where allosteric regulators, signaling molecules, and scaffold proteins bind to control protein activity (). These proteins cannot be exclusively neutralized by an enzymatic targeting protein (). However, non-enzymatic targeting proteins such as PROTACs provide the opportunity to inhibit these target proteins due to their ability to capitalize on the hosts protein degradation system via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Specifically, PROTACs promote the ubiquitination of the target protein by recruiting the E3 ubiquitin ligase to the target protein (). In addition, PROTACs have the unique function to be reused and continuously promote this interaction, increasing the selectivity and clinical efficacy of the drug. One example of PROTACs being able to block complex, multifunctional proteins is with the zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) within the PRC2 complex. EZH2 is a highly oncogenic protein that inhibits the expression of 200 tumor suppressor genes. However, Liu et al. had significant success in designing an EZH2 PROTAC that could completely block the oncogenic activity of EZH2 (). Another promising PROTAC includes AU-15330. AU-15330 is a SMARCA2/4 degrader that utilizes both a bait and ligand moiety that is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of prostate cancer (). These alongside the numerous PROTACs that are in development demonstrate the advantages of this approach in targeting complex proteins that have both enzymatic and non-enzymatic domain for the treatment of diverse cancers.
While there have been many successful small inhibitors that target the enzymatic activity of influential cancer proteins, small inhibitors that target the non-enzymatic activity of proteins have also been identified. These include drugs that mark proteins for degradation as well as drugs that inhibit or stabilize protein-protein interactions (PPIs) (Table 2). Due to the selectivity, these approaches have displayed promising results for the treatment of diseases that were previously viewed as untreatable and should further be explored in the upcoming years. In this article, we will describe these new, non-enzymatic approaches for cancer treatment that utilize protein degradation and PPIs interfering methods.
TABLE 2
| Cancer targeted | Small molecule drug target | Small molecule drug | Molecular target | Clinical status | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple myeloma | 26S proteasome | Bortezomib (Velcade) | Proteosomes | FDA approved in 2003 | |
| Multiple myeloma | 20S proteasome | Carfilzomib (Kyprolis) | FDA approved in 2012 | ||
| Multiple myeloma, glioblastoma | 20S proteasome | Marizomib (NPI-0052) | Phase III of clinical trials | ||
| Various tumors | Broad spectrum MMPs | Batimastat (BB-94) | MMPs and HSPs | Yet to be approved | |
| Renal cell carcinoma | MMPs 2, 3, 9, 13, and 14 | Prinomastat (AG-3340) | Phase III of clinical trial completed | ||
| Advanced non-small cell lung cancer | MMPs 1, 2, 8, 9, and 14 | Rebimastat (BMS-275291) | Phase III of clinical trial | ||
| Multiple cancers | HSP 90 | Ganetespib | Phase III of clinical trial | ||
| Various tumors | HSP 90 | Luminespib (NVP-AUY922) | Phase II of clinical trial |
List of small molecule inhibitors targeting non-enzymatic activity.
History of targeted protein degradation
Targeted protein degradation is an area that has gained increased interest in recent years, with many pharmaceutical companies investing in small inhibitor drugs that use targeted protein degradation machinery. Targeted protein degradation works by utilizing the cell’s endogenous machinery to discard the cell of damaged or unwanted proteins (; ). Thus, by developing drugs that selectively mark cancerous proteins for degradation, this will allow the cell to eliminate improper protein faster than without the supplemental intervention.
In the early 1900s, it was assumed that intracellular proteins lived for long periods of time. However, in the 1980s, two different experiments made discoveries that complemented each other. The first experiment, which was conducted in the lab of Avram Hershko, discovered that some proteins were degraded by cellular machinery (; ; ). This mechanism, later known as protein degradation, worked by adding a protein known as ubiquitin to the protein of interest (Figure 1A). This ubiquitin-protein complex would then be degraded by an ATP-dependent protease. The experiment labeled the enzymes that conjugated the protein and ubiquitin together as E1, E2, and E3 (). The ATP-dependent protease that was discovered here, is now commonly known as the 26S proteasome (). The second experiment, which was conducted at a lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), discovered that the ubiquitin system functioned as the main perpetrator for protein degradation in living cells; furthermore, that it played roles in cell cycle regulation, protein synthesis, transcriptional regulation, stress response, DNA repair, and cell viability (; ; ). Therefore, it is clear that protein degradation serves as a critical function in protecting the body by eliminating damaged or misfolded proteins, recycling of amino acids, regulating cellular metabolism, and generating of active proteins ().
FIGURE 1
In 1999, a heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibiting drug know as17-AGG became one of the first protein degradation inducing drugs to enter FDA clinical trials (
It was then proposed that HSP90 inhibitors were capable of reducing tumor sizes as well as delaying or completely stopping tumor progression. HSP90 inhibitors function by targeting the ATP-binding domain of the HSP90 chaperone, which leads to the breakdown of the HSP90 target proteins (
Since these experiments were conducted, researchers have continued to explore the potential applications of induced protein degradation, specifically a drug that could directly degrade improper cancerous proteins. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on PROTACs as TPDs; however, other emerging TPD techniques that are promising include lysosome-targeting chimeras (LYTACs), asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) targeting chimera (ATAC), bispecific atamer chimera (BIAC), antibody-based PROTAC (AbTAC), glueTAC, autophagosome-tethering compound (ATTEC), autophagy-targeting chimera (AUTAC), and chaperone-mediated autophagy-based degraders (
PROteolysis-TArgeting chimaeras (PROTACs), a new technology inducing protein degradation
PROTACs are a class of drugs have been the topic of investigation for more than 20 years, with several currently in clinical trials (
Early proof-of-concept studies provided promising theoretical proof of PROTACs. This was due to the fact that molecules that employed similar methods were effective in inhibiting protein activity (
Despite the success, there were still issues of potency in micromolar range due to low permeability. To overcome this, the peptidomimetic VHL ligand 1 was added and this resulted in a significantly improved the binding affinity with VHL (Kd = 185 nM) (
Another major development in PROTACs was the discovery of their catalytic function. In the experiment by Bondeson et al., they developed a PROTAC that was able to decrease target protein levels by roughly 90%, even at nanomolar concentrations (
In order to have reversible activation of PROTACs, the photoPROTAC was designed. The photoPROTAC is composed of a PROTAC with the addition of ortho-F4-azobenzene linkers between two ligands of the target protein (warhead ligands) (
Due to the continuous efforts to enhance PROTAC technology, PROTACs have the potential to be an alternative drug discovery approach to compliment traditional cancer therapies and to combat treatment resistance. Indeed, as of 2023, there are seventeen PROTACs in clinical trials encompassing treatment for a wide range of cancer types (Table 3).
TABLE 3
| Cancer targeted | Small molecule drug target | Small molecule drug | E3 ligase | Clinical status | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prostate cancer | AR | ARV-110 | CRBN | Phase II of clinical trial | |
| Breast cancer | ER | ARV-471 | CRBN | Phase II of clinical trial | |
| Synovial sarcoma, soft tissue sarcoma | BRD9 | CFT8634 | CRBN | Phase II/I of clinical trial | |
| Prostate cancer | AR | AC176 | Not disclosed | Phase I of clinical trial | |
| Breast cancer | ER | AC682 | CRBN | Phase I of clinical trial | |
| Prostate cancer | AR | ARV-766 | Not disclosed | Phase I of clinical trial | |
| Solid tumors | KRAS G12D | ASP-3082 | Not disclosed | Phase I of clinical trial | |
| B cell malignancy, lymphoma | BTK | BGB-16673 | Not disclosed | Phase I of clinical trial | |
| Prostate cancer | AR | CC-94676 | CRBN | Phase I of clinical trial | ( |
| Liquid tumors, solid tumors | BCL-XL | DT-2216 | VHL | Phase I of clinical trial | |
| Synovial sarcoma | BRD9 | FHD-609 | Not disclosed | Phase I of clinical trial | |
| Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer | AR | HP518 | Not disclosed | Phase I of clinical trial | |
| Relapsed/refractory B cell malignancies | BTK | HSK29116 | Not disclosed | Phase I of clinical trial | |
| Liquid tumors, solid tumors | STAT3 | KT-333 | Not disclosed | Phase I of clinical trial | |
| Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma | IRAK4 | KT-413 | CRBN | Phase I of clinical trial | |
| Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, small lymphocytic lymphoma, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, mantle cell lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, primary central nervous system lymphoma | BTK | NX-2127 | CRBN | Phase I of clinical trial | |
| B-cell malignancies, autoimmune diseases | BTK | NX-5948 | CRBN | Phase I of clinical trial |
PROTACs testing in clinical trials.
A classic example of targeted protein degradation within the p53/MDM2 pathway
Protein degradation is an endogenous recycling mechanism that allows cells to dispose of unwanted proteins, in addition to the aforementioned roles it plays in maintaining overall cell health. Due to its regulatory role in cell cycle, it is of interest to investigate how protein degradation inducers could influence the p53/MDM2 pathway, which is frequently mutated in cancer cells.
The tumor suppressor protein, p53, plays an important role in cell proliferation and cell death. The function of p53 is to act as a regulator of the cell cycle and as a signal for apoptosis when physiological stress of damage occurs. Specifically, p53 will signal for apoptosis when oncogenic stress arises to prevent further proliferation (
p53 has to be heavily regulated because constant activation would result in excessive apoptosis, leading to accelerated bodily aging (
In regard to the p53/MDM2 pathway, p53 functions as a transcriptional regulator, modulating the expression of Mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) for p53’s own regulation. MDM2 is an oncoprotein that functions to suppress p53 by binding directly to the protein. When MDM2 binds to p53, it acts as an E3 ligase to promote the degradation of p53 (
There have been many attempts to resolve mutations in this pathway, one proposal was by interfering with MDM2 and p53 interactions by introducing a PPI inhibitor which is described in detail later. Overall, this mechanism aimed to inhibit MDM2 which would lead to cell cycle arrest or apoptosis in cancer cells. While this approach is promising with many ongoing clinical trials, PROTACs have the potential to address the shortcoming seen in MDM2 inhibitors (
Through the combination of continuously improving technology and applications of PROTACs in the p53/MDM2 pathway, PROTACs have a wide range of treatment applications, displaying that future efforts that need to be made in the area of protein degradation.
Target protein-protein interactions (PPIs)
Another exciting area for non-enzymatic drug development involves interfering with PPIs. PPIs are understood as the intentional physical contact between two or more protein molecules due to hydrophobic interaction, hydrogen bonding, or salt-bridges through electrostatic interactions. When two proteins interact directly with each other, their function changes distinctly. PPI networks have shown a recurrent theme in healthy organisms. When mutations, different gene expressions, or diseases occur the PPI interaction networks become altered and disrupt cellular functions (
Conditions for PPI should be explained before any further context is given. Physical contact in PPI is specific, not all proteins that collide with neighboring proteins will interact. Another aspect to note is that the contact between two proteins is neither static nor permanent. Proteins will constantly be modified as well as undergo conformational changes, turnover, and assembly. Few proteins will stay stable since they make up complex, macromolecular protein structures and cellular machines, such as ATP synthase or cytochrome oxidase. Lastly, interactions depend on the type of cell, its stage of development, its stage in the cell cycle, environmental variables, structural alterations, presence of cofactors, and potential other binding partners (
Researchers have commonly approached PPIs with two alternative experiment types: binary and co-complex. The binary approach is a technique that measures direct physical interactions between protein pairs. The common method is to apply the binary method to yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) that utilizes a “bait” and “prey” protein to analyze the transcription of a reporter gene (
Not all protein complexes can be targeted by small molecules. To discover the protein complexes that would work, Goncearenco et al. evaluated the superposition of preexisting protein-small molecule and protein-protein binding interfaces in structural complexes (
PPI inhibitors within the p53/MDM2 pathway
Cancer research efforts have started to design drugs that inhibit PPIs (Figure 2A; Table 4). Petta et al. looked at inhibiting the interaction between MDM2 and p53 because in certain cancers, MDM2 overexpression has been associated with reduced treatment response and poor clinical prognosis (
FIGURE 2

(A) PPI Function–Inhibition. The orthosteric inhibitor binds directly to the interaction area between the two proteins, preventing interactions. The allosteric inhibitor binds to another area, outside of the PPI surface, creating a change in protein shape that inhibits the interaction. (B) PPI Function - Stabilization. The orthosteric stabilizer binds directly to the interaction area between the two proteins, stabilizing the interaction. The allosteric stabilizer binds to an area outside of the PPI surface, creating a change in protein shape, stabilizing the interaction.
TABLE 4
| Disease condition | Small molecule | PPI | Investigation stage | Binding affinity (IC50) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immunosuppressant after transplantation, melanocarcinoma, ependymoblastoma, mammary tumors, colon tumors | Sirolimus | FKBP12/mTOR | Approved | 23.97 nmol/L | |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | Adalimumab | TNFR/TNFA | Approved | 4.93 nmol/L | |
| Human Immunodeficiency Virus | Maraviroc | CCR5/gp120 | Approved | 11 nmol/L | |
| Neuroblastoma | Pevonedistat | NEDD8/APPBP1/UBA3 | Approved | 136–400 nmol/L | |
| Leukemia | Navitolax | Bcl-2/BAX | Preclinical | NS |
List of PPI inhibitors.
A HTS assay was employed to screen small-molecule inhibitors for ubiquitin ligases (E3s). E3 was chosen because this enzyme allows for the conjugation of ubiquitin to the protein that is being targeted through an isopeptide connection (
The first MDM2-p53 inhibitor to enter clinical trials was RG-7112 in 2013 (
PPI inhibition within DNA damage response (DDR) machinery
Each day, cells undergo replicative stress which results in damage to their respective genomes. Cells resolve these lesions and preserve genome stability through the use of DDR machinery. DDR machinery involves, but is not limited to, homologous recombination (HR), non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), alternative end-joining (A-EJ), nucleotide excision repair (NER), mismatch repair (MMR), and base excision repair (BER) (
PPI inhibition of BET proteins
In the recent years, another class of epigenetic target called bromodomain and extra terminal domain (BET) proteins have been discovered. BET proteins consist of four types of proteins: bromodomain testis-specific protein (BRDT), Brd2, Brd3, and Brd4. The function of BET proteins is to promote and inhibit transcription, as well as aid cell cycle regulation (
To prevent BET protein interactions, several novel BET protein inhibitors that use the PPI approach have recently been developed. Various degrees of anti-tumor activity have been found with BET PPI inhibitors and new treatment options are being investigated by combining these PPIs with either regulators or small protein inhibitors (
As of now, results from early clinical data have shown mixed results for BET PPI inhibitors as a monotherapy. More specifically, the results indicated positive treatments within a matter of weeks for some individuals, while other showed progress after 8 months (
Utilization of HTS to identify PPI inhibitors
PPIs are a broad target to tackle since they have diverse and complex qualities. For example, PPI size can range from 4 amino acids to thousands of angstroms long, and each is characterized by its dynamics, binding affinities, number of proteins in the complex (
Since the PPIs of interest for cancer treatment frequently have weak binding affinities or large, shallow interfaces, fundamental HTS was not able to initially screen complex PPIs (
In experiment by Taylor et al., Hsp70 was used in an HTS assay and had two positive results, highlighting that HTS can be used for complex PPIs (
PPI stabilization for cancer treatment
Another approach to drug design is to stabilize PPIs instead of inhibiting their activity (Figure 2B). One function for small molecule PPI stabilizers is to use allosteric stabilizers to associate with one of the proteins within the complex (
PPI stabilization is used in the clinic as an anti-cancer treatment by disrupting the cell cycle. For the cell cycle to occur properly, microtubules function to transfer material within the cell while also influencing cell anatomy through shortening and lengthening of individual microtubules (
Another example, and a more novel target class that involves PPI stabilization, is the 14-3-3 proteins. 14-3-3 proteins are a family of homologous proteins comprised of seven isoforms. Most of these proteins are expressed in the brain and have been found in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with various neurological disorders (
A more focused interaction partner that has been experimented on is the interaction between 14-3-3 proteins and its interaction partner, TASK3. TASK3 is a pore-domain potassium channel that contains a conserved C-terminal of five amino acids (
Inhibition of estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) binding to 14-3-3 proteins also has shown promising results to combat breast cancer. A current breast cancer treatment is to block estrogen production through anti-estrogens or aromatase competitive inhibitors that compete for hormone binding (
PPI stabilization for immunosuppression
Immunosuppression is the partial or complete repression of the body’s immune system. Often times, drugs will be deliberately used to suppress the immune system in order to prepare for transplantations, such as bone marrow or other organs. Immunosuppression is important in order to prevent the body’s natural system from rejecting the donor tissue. Rapamycin (sirolimus) and FK506 (tacrolimus) are two PPI stabilizing molecules that interact directly with FKBP12 immunophilin (
TABLE 5
| Disease condition | Small molecule | PPI | Investigation stage | Binding affinity (IC50) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immunosuppressant after transplantation | FK506 | FKBP12/calcineurin | Approved | 37 nmol/L | |
| Immunosuppressant after transplantation | Rapamycin | FKBP12/mTOR | Approved | 0.2 nmol/L | |
| Ovarian, breast, lung, bladder, prostate, esophageal cancer | Paclitaxel | a/b tubulin | Approved | 2.5 nmol/L | |
| Lupus nephritis, active rheumatoid, rheumatoid arthritic | Mizoribine | 14-3η/GR | Approved | NS | |
| Breast cancer | Fusicoccin | 14-3-3/ERalpha | Preclinical | NS | |
| Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma | Nutlin-3 | p53/MDM2 | Preclinical | 90 nmol/L | |
| Follicular lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, multiple myeloma, or anemia caused by certain types of myelodysplastic syndromes | Lenalidomide | CRBN/CK1α | Approved | 2.694 μmol/L |
List of PPI stabilizers.
Challenges of PPI and protein degradation
While PPIs interfering and protein degrading drugs have displayed promising results, there are challenges of using these approaches. For instance, it is difficult to develop PPI interfering drugs since the majority of the protein-protein interfaces are flat and lack pockets for PPI modulators to bind to (
Although protein degradation and PPI based treatments are highly specific, like all cancer therapies, the possibility of developing drug resistance exists (
Conclusion
Alternatives for the current treatments of cancer such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery have been at the center of investigation to reduce the damage of healthy cells. As a result, efforts are being made to look towards novel therapeutic approaches through the concepts of targeted protein degradation and PPI interference. These concepts have led to the development of inhibitors that exclusively target cancer cells, with several receiving FDA approval and many in clinical trials. Protein degradation continues to show its promising potential as a new cancer treatment, specifically in regard to PROTACs. Furthermore, PPI interfering drugs continue to display significant results within the development of p53/MDM2 inhibitors, BET protein inhibitors, and as immunosuppressants. With the assistance from HTS, protein degradation and PPI interfering drugs have progressed immensely, and targets have been discovered. In the future, we suggest that these avenues should continue to be investigated and that BET protein inhibitors should be combined with other agents due to their promising preclinical results. Overall, protein degradation and PPI interfering drugs promise better cancer treatment options than the current approaches and should be further explored.
Statements
Author contributions
MA: Writing–original draft, Writing–review and editing. JL: Writing–original draft, Writing–review and editing. AS: Writing–original draft, Writing–review and editing. ZA: Writing–original draft, Writing–review and editing. GP: Writing–original draft, Writing–review and editing.
Funding
The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was supported by NCI Cancer Center Support Grant CA016672 to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and NIH R01 grant 2CA181663 to G.P.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Generative AI statement
The author(s) declare that no Generative AI was used in the creation of this manuscript.
Publisher’s note
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Summary
Keywords
protein-protein interaction (PPI), proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC), non-enzymatic protein targeting agents, targeted protein degradation (TPD), DNA damage repair (DDR), P53/MDM2 pathway, BET protein inhibitor, immunosupperssion
Citation
Ambrose M, Lee J, Syed A, Ahmed Z and Peng G (2025) Non-enzymatic protein targeting agents as a promising strategy for cancer treatment. Front. Drug Discov. 5:1520734. doi: 10.3389/fddsv.2025.1520734
Received
05 November 2024
Accepted
08 January 2025
Published
29 January 2025
Volume
5 - 2025
Edited by
Hoang V. Le, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH), United States
Reviewed by
Shang Su, Louisiana State University, United States
Tamoghna Mandal, Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden
Nam Chu, The Ohio State University, United States
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© 2025 Ambrose, Lee, Syed, Ahmed and Peng.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Guang Peng, gpeng@mdanderson.org
† These authors have contributed equally to this work
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