# Emerging biologic modalities for targeted protein degradation

**Authors:** Alana G. Caldwell, Harshil Parmar, Xiaoyu Zhang

PMC · DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2026.111248 · 2026-02-04

## TL;DR

This paper reviews new biological methods to destroy harmful proteins in cells, offering a promising approach for treating diseases.

## Contribution

The paper introduces and reviews novel biologic degraders for targeted protein degradation, expanding therapeutic possibilities.

## Key findings

- Biologic degraders offer high specificity and can target proteins previously inaccessible to small molecules.
- Peptide-based strategies bridge biologic and synthetic methods, enhancing TPD versatility.

## Abstract

Targeted protein degradation (TPD) has emerged as a powerful approach for eliminating disease-associated proteins by harnessing the ubiquitin–proteasome system. Biologic degraders are modular protein chimeras that recruit ubiquitin machinery to target proteins. They offer high specificity, modular design, and the ability to access targets traditionally considered challenging for small-molecule ligands. This review surveys the expanding landscape of biologic TPD modalities, highlighting E3 ligase– and E2 enzyme–based degraders, TRIM-Away and TRIMbody-Away systems, and diverse biologics-based ligands that serve as target-binding components. We also discuss emerging peptide-based strategies, which bridge biologic and synthetic approaches. Finally, we highlight future opportunities to improve biologic degraders and their potential to expand the scope of TPD.

## Linked entities

- **Proteins:** CG11700 (uncharacterized protein), PSMC1 (proteasome 26S subunit, ATPase 1)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** NEDD4 (NEDD4 E3 ubiquitin protein ligase) [NCBI Gene 4734] {aka NEDD4-1, RPF1}, CRBN (cereblon) [NCBI Gene 51185] {aka MRT2, MRT2A}, HTT (huntingtin) [NCBI Gene 3064] {aka HD, IT15, LOMARS}, ESR1 (estrogen receptor 1) [NCBI Gene 2099] {aka ER, ESR, ESRA, ESTRR, Era, NR3A1}, CENPA (centromere protein A) [NCBI Gene 1058] {aka CENP-A, CenH3}, NFKBIA (NFKB inhibitor alpha) [NCBI Gene 4792] {aka EDAID2, IKBA, MAD-3, NFKBI}, PTPN11 (protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 11) [NCBI Gene 5781] {aka BPTP3, CFC, JMML, METCDS, NS1, PTP-1D}, BTRC (beta-transducin repeat containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase) [NCBI Gene 8945] {aka BETA-TRCP, FBW1A, FBXW1, FBXW1A, FWD1, bTrCP}, ZAP70 (zeta chain of T cell receptor associated protein kinase 70) [NCBI Gene 7535] {aka ADMIO2, IMD48, SRK, STCD, STD, TZK}, TARDBP (TAR DNA binding protein) [NCBI Gene 23435] {aka ALS10, TDP-43}, PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) [NCBI Gene 5111] {aka ATLD2}, EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) [NCBI Gene 1956] {aka ERBB, ERBB1, ERRP, HER1, NISBD2, NNCIS}, DDX19B (DEAD-box helicase 19B) [NCBI Gene 11269] {aka DBP5, DDX19, RNAh}, SKP2 (S-phase kinase associated protein 2) [NCBI Gene 6502] {aka FBL1, FBXL1, FLB1, p45}, rho (rhomboid) [NCBI Gene 38168] {aka CG1004, DMRHO, DMRHOa, DMRHOb, DRORHO, DmRho1}, NUP98 (nucleoporin 98 and 96 precursor) [NCBI Gene 4928] {aka ADIR2, NUP196, NUP96, Nup98-96}, PSMD10 (proteasome 26S subunit, non-ATPase 10) [NCBI Gene 5716] {aka dJ889N15.2, p28, p28(GANK)}, KRAS (KRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase) [NCBI Gene 3845] {aka 'C-K-RAS, C-K-RAS, CFC2, K-RAS2A, K-RAS2B, K-RAS4A}, CACUL1 (CDK2 associated cullin domain 1) [NCBI Gene 143384] {aka C10orf46, CAC1}, NUP62 (nucleoporin 62) [NCBI Gene 23636] {aka IBSN, SNDI, p62}, TRIM21 (tripartite motif containing 21) [NCBI Gene 6737] {aka RNF81, RO52, Ro/SSA, SSA, SSA1, TRIM21/Ro52}, PCNT (pericentrin) [NCBI Gene 5116] {aka KEN, MOPD2, PCN, PCNT2, PCNTB, PCTN2}, ERBB3 (erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 3) [NCBI Gene 2065] {aka ErbB-3, FERLK, HER3, LCCS2, MDA-BF-1, VSCN1}, NLRP3 (NLR family pyrin domain containing 3) [NCBI Gene 114548] {aka AGTAVPRL, AII, AVP, C1orf7, CIAS1, CLR1.1}, MSRB3 (methionine sulfoxide reductase B3) [NCBI Gene 253827] {aka DFNB74}, VHL (von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor) [NCBI Gene 7428] {aka HRCA1, RCA1, VHL1, pVHL}, MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase) [NCBI Gene 2475] {aka FRAP, FRAP1, FRAP2, RAFT1, RAPT1, SKS}, UBE2D1 (ubiquitin conjugating enzyme E2 D1) [NCBI Gene 7321] {aka E2(17)KB1, SFT, UBC4/5, UBCH5, UBCH5A}, PACSIN2 (protein kinase C and casein kinase substrate in neurons 2) [NCBI Gene 11252] {aka SDPII}, slmb (supernumerary limbs) [NCBI Gene 42504] {aka BcDNA:GM02031, CG3412, Dmel\CG3412, FBXW1, MENE (3R)-B, MENE(3R)-B}, LBH (LBH regulator of Wnt signaling pathway) [NCBI Gene 81606], ERBB2 (erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2) [NCBI Gene 2064] {aka CD340, HER-2, HER-2/neu, HER2, MLN 19, MLN-19}, MUL1 (mitochondrial E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1) [NCBI Gene 79594] {aka C1orf166, GIDE, MAPL, MULAN, RNF218}, Rho1 (Rho1) [NCBI Gene 36775] {aka 19549712, 8416, AAF01186, CG8416, D-Rho1, DRho}, CXADRP1 (CXADR pseudogene 1) [NCBI Gene 653108] {aka CAR, CXADRP}, SNCA (synuclein alpha) [NCBI Gene 6622] {aka NACP, PARK1, PARK4, PD1}, KRT13 (keratin 13) [NCBI Gene 3860] {aka CK13, K13, WSN2}, AR (androgen receptor) [NCBI Gene 367] {aka AIS, AR8, DHTR, HPCX3, HUMARA, HYSP1}, SPOP (speckle type BTB/POZ protein) [NCBI Gene 8405] {aka BTBD32, NEDMACE, NEDMIDF, NSDVS1, NSDVS2, TEF2}, SKP1 (S-phase kinase associated protein 1) [NCBI Gene 6500] {aka EMC19, OCP-II, OCP2, SKP1A, TCEB1L, p19A}, BCL11A (BCL11 transcription factor A) [NCBI Gene 53335] {aka CTIP1, DILOS, EVI9, HBFQTL5, SMARCM1, ZNF856}, DICER1 (dicer 1, ribonuclease III) [NCBI Gene 23405] {aka DCR1, Dicer, Dicer1e, GLOW, HERNA, K12H4.8-LIKE}, KRT19 (keratin 19) [NCBI Gene 3880] {aka CK19, K19, K1CS}, STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) [NCBI Gene 6774] {aka ADMIO, ADMIO1, APRF, HIES}, MYC (MYC proto-oncogene, bHLH transcription factor) [NCBI Gene 4609] {aka MRTL, MYCC, bHLHe39, c-Myc}, TRAT1 (T cell receptor associated transmembrane adaptor 1) [NCBI Gene 50852] {aka HSPC062, TCRIM, TRIM, pp29/30}, UBE2B (ubiquitin conjugating enzyme E2 B) [NCBI Gene 7320] {aka E2-17kDa, HHR6B, HR6B, RAD6B, UBC2}, NUP214 (nucleoporin 214) [NCBI Gene 8021] {aka CAIN, CAN, IIAE9}, RNF4 (ring finger protein 4) [NCBI Gene 6047] {aka RES4-26, SLX5, SNURF}, METAP2 (methionyl aminopeptidase 2) [NCBI Gene 10988] {aka MAP2, MNPEP, p67eIF2}
- **Diseases:** breast cancer (MESH:D001943), TPD (MESH:D055959), infection (MESH:D007239), toxicity (MESH:D064420), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (MESH:D000690), colorectal cancer (MESH:D015179), Huntington's (MESH:D006816), cancer (MESH:D009369), inflammation (MESH:D007249), Parkinson's diseases (MESH:D010300)
- **Chemicals:** ovalicin (MESH:C002781), lipid (MESH:D008055), ARMeD (-), GDP (MESH:D006153), E2 (MESH:D004958), GTP (MESH:D006160)
- **Species:** Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly, species) [taxon 7227], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606], Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast, species) [taxon 4932]
- **Mutations:** G12C, G12V
- **Cell lines:** HCT116 — Homo sapiens (Human), Colon carcinoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0291)

## Figures

4 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12962169/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12962169