Safety and clinical activity of BMS-986365 (CC-94676), a dual androgen receptor ligand-directed degrader and antagonist, in heavily pretreated patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

Recent advances in PROTAC-based antiviral and antibacterial therapeutics

By harnessing the ubiquitin proteasome system, proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) have emerged as a highly promising strategy in drug design for degrading pathogenic proteins. The extensive benefits of PROTAC technology have facilitated its swift and extensive adoption, resulting in numerous PROTACs advancing to clinical trials, and most of them was used for cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, and immune disorders in clinical trials. A number of antiviral PROTACs and antibacterial PROTACs have been developed, exhibiting encouraging bioactivities against various pathogenic viruses and bacterial. Herein, this review summarizes recent advances in PROTAC technology for antiviral and antibacterial drugs, we also provided an overview of the current state of PROTAC clinical trials and detailed the crystal structures of PROTAC in complex with its target protein. Hopefully, this review will contribute to the development of novel antiviral and antibacterial drugs through the utilization of PROTAC technology.

Advances in Targeted Therapy for Metastatic Prostate Cancer

OPINION STATEMENT

Over the past few years, treatment for advanced prostate cancer has begun shifting away from a one-size-fits-all approach toward biomarker-based therapies for select groups of patients. This review highlights the role of poly-ADP-ribose-polymerase (PARP) inhibitors in metastatic prostate cancer, emerging strategies to target the androgen receptor (AR), and innovative therapies aimed at cell surface proteins, including radioligand therapies, bispecific T cell engagers, and antibody-drug conjugates. For patients with homologous recombination repair (HRR)-mutated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), we favor combining a PARP inhibitor (PARPi) with an AR pathway inhibitor (ARPI), provided they can tolerate a more aggressive treatment strategy. In our opinion, patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations who are unable to handle combination therapy benefit from PARPi monotherapy. We are enthusiastic about the potential of ongoing clinical trials for new AR-directed therapies, such as AR ligand-directed degraders and CYP11A1 inhibitors, in metastatic CRPC. These treatments are expected to be most beneficial for patients whose cancer continues to rely on AR pathway signaling, suggesting they might also be effective in earlier stages of the disease. Progress in drug development and understanding of protein structures has led to new therapies that target cell surface proteins predominantly found in prostate cancer. We use 177Lu-PSMA-617 for patients with PSMA avid metastatic CRPC who have progressed on an ARPI and a taxane chemotherapy. Additionally, we see promising potential in bispecific T-cell engagers (e.g., STEAP1-CD3 and PSMA-CD3) and novel radioligand therapies, including those utilizing actinium, to target these proteins. These advances show great promise in further enhancing survival for patients with metastatic prostate cancer.

PROTAC Technology as a New Tool for Modern Pharmacotherapy

The publication focuses on the innovative applications of PROTAC (proteolysis-targeting chimera) technology in modern pharmacotherapy, with particular emphasis on cancer treatment. PROTACs represent an advanced therapeutic strategy that enables selective protein degradation, opening new possibilities in drug design. This technology shows potential in the treatment of cancers, viral infections (such as HIV and COVID-19), and chronic diseases including atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, atopic dermatitis, and Huntington's disease. Promising results from clinical studies on the compound ARV-471 confirm the effectiveness of this approach. New types of PROTACs, like TF-PROTAC and PhosphoTAC, are designed to enhance the effectiveness, stability, and absorption of treatment drugs. The conclusions of the review highlight the broad therapeutic potential of PROTACs in various diseases and their relevance for the future of therapies, particularly in oncology.

Molecular pathways in reproductive cancers: a focus on prostate and ovarian cancer

Reproductive cancers, including prostate and ovarian cancer, are highly prevalent worldwide and pose significant health challenges. The molecular underpinnings of these cancers are complex and involve dysregulation of various cellular pathways. Understanding these pathways is crucial for developing effective therapeutic strategies. This review aims to provide an overview of the molecular pathways implicated in prostate and ovarian cancers, highlighting key genetic alterations, signaling cascades, and epigenetic modifications. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Articles focusing on molecular pathways in prostate and ovarian cancer were reviewed and analyzed. In prostate cancer, recurrent mutations in genes like AR, TP53, and PTEN drive tumor growth and progression. Androgen signaling plays a significant role, with alterations in the AR pathway contributing to resistance to antiandrogen therapies. In ovarian cancer, high-grade serous carcinomas are characterized by mutations in TP53, BRCA1/2, and homologous recombination repair genes. PI3K and MAPK pathways are frequently activated, promoting cell proliferation and survival. Epigenetic alterations, including DNA methylation and histone modifications, are also prevalent in both cancer types. The molecular pathways involved in prostate and ovarian cancer are diverse and complex. Targeting these pathways with precision medicine approaches holds promise for improving patient outcomes. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms of resistance and identify novel therapeutic vulnerabilities.

Unleashing the Power of Covalent Drugs for Protein Degradation

Targeted protein degradation (TPD) has emerged as a significant therapeutic approach for a variety of diseases, including cancer. Advances in TPD techniques, such as molecular glue (MG) and lysosome-dependent strategies, have shown substantial progress since the inception of the first PROTAC in 2001. The PROTAC methodology represents the forefront of TPD technology, with ongoing evaluation in more than 20 clinical trials for the treatment of diverse medical conditions. Two prominent PROTACs, ARV-471 and ARV-110, are currently undergoing phase III and II clinical trials, respectively. Traditional PROTACs are encountering obstacles such as limited binding affinity and a restricted range of E3 ligase ligands for facilitating the protein of interest (POI) degradation. Covalent medicines offer the potential to enhance PROTAC efficacy by enabling the targeting of previously considered "undruggable" shallow binding sites. Strategic alterations allow PROTAC to establish covalent connections with particular target proteins, including Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS), Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), as well as E3 ligases such as DDB1 and CUL4 associated factor 16 (DCAF16) and Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1). The concept of covalent degradation has also been utilized in various new forms of degraders, including covalent molecule glue (MG), in-cell click-formed proteolysis targeting chimera (CLIPTAC), HaloPROTAC, lysosome-targeting chimera (LYTAC) and GlueTAC. This review focuses on recent advancements in covalent degraders beyond covalent PROTACs and examines obstacles and future directions pertinent to this field.