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Narrative review discusses PROTACs for oncology, immune modulation, and neurodegenerative diseases with noted limitations

Narrative review discusses PROTACs for oncology, immune modulation, and neurodegenerative diseases…
Photo by Logan Voss / Unsplash
Key Takeaway
Note limitations in PROTAC pharmacokinetics and E3 ligase diversity for oncology and neurodegenerative diseases.

This narrative review explores the potential of PROTACs across oncology, immune modulation, and neurodegenerative diseases. The scope covers the current state of PROTAC technology and its theoretical applications in these therapeutic areas. No specific population, sample size, or setting details are provided in this source. The review synthesizes existing knowledge without reporting primary outcome data or adverse events.

The authors identify several key limitations that currently hinder the clinical translation of PROTACs. These include suboptimal pharmacokinetic profiles and the stoichiometric hook effect, which can limit efficacy. Furthermore, there is a disproportionate reliance on a limited pool of E3 ligases, specifically cereblon and von Hippel-Lindau. This dependency restricts the diversity of available targets and may impact the breadth of potential treatments.

The review does not report specific safety data, tolerability, or discontinuation rates. Consequently, the practice relevance regarding patient management or immediate clinical adoption remains unclear. The authors note these gaps, emphasizing that the technology is still in early development stages. Clinicians should interpret these findings as preliminary insights rather than established clinical guidelines.

Study Details

Study typeSystematic review
EvidenceLevel 1
PublishedMay 2026
View Original Abstract ↓
Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) have emerged as a transformative modality within the targeted protein degradation (TPD) landscape, inducing spatial proximity between E3 ubiquitin ligases and proteins of interest (POIs) to hijack the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Unlike traditional occupancy-driven inhibitors, this catalytic, event-driven mechanism enables the targeting of historically “undruggable” proteomes and circumvents acquired resistance. However, the field faces formidable challenges, including suboptimal pharmacokinetic profiles, the stoichiometric “hook effect,” and a disproportionate reliance on a limited pool of E3 ligases (notably cereblon (CRBN) and von Hippel-Lindau (VHL)). This review critically examines PROTAC core principles and provides a nuanced functional categorization across oncology, immune modulation, neurodegenerative diseases, and basic research. We further evaluate three pivotal technical strategies—degrader architecture innovations, conditional activation modalities, and advanced delivery platforms—while systematically appraising current clinical progress. Finally, we discuss key limitations and future translational directions, aiming to provide a realistic roadmap for the next-generation of TPD therapeutics.
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