Targeting the Allosteric Site of Oncoprotein BCR-ABL as an Alternative Strategy for Effective Target Protein Degradation

Abstract

Protein degradation technology based on hybrid small molecules is an emerging drug modality that has significant potential in drug discovery and as a unique method of post-translational protein knockdown in the field of chemical biology. Here, we report the first example of a novel and potent protein degradation inducer that binds to an allosteric site of the oncogenic BCR-ABL protein. BCR-ABL allosteric ligands were incorporated into the SNIPER (Specific and Nongenetic inhibitor of apoptosis protein [IAP]-dependent Protein Erasers) platform, and a series of <i>in vitro</i> biological assays of binding affinity, target protein modulation, signal transduction, and growth inhibition were carried out. One of the designed compounds, <b>6</b> (SNIPER(ABL)-062), showed desirable binding affinities against ABL1, cIAP1/2, and XIAP and consequently caused potent BCR-ABL degradation.