Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) in Drug Design
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pharmacology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 53
Special Issue Editor
Interests: rational design of antiviral drugs, e.g., virus entry/fusion inhibitors, protease inhibitors, etc.; computer-assisted drug design; structure-based drug design; ligand-based drug design; virtual screening; QSAR; 3D-QSAR; pharmacophore mapping
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Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In recent years, the landscape of drug discovery has undergone a dramatic transformation with the emergence of proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs). These innovative small-molecule degraders represent a groundbreaking therapeutic strategy that harnesses the power of the ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS) to selectively eliminate disease-related proteins. Unlike conventional inhibitors, which merely obstruct protein activity, PROTACs achieve the complete and enduring degradation of their targets. This capability promises significantly improved pharmacological outcomes, particularly for targets that are notoriously difficult to drug or that are resistant to existing therapies.
This Special Issue offers an in-depth exploration of the current state of PROTAC-based drug design, addressing critical areas such as target validation, rational optimization, mechanistic insights, and real-world clinical applications. It also confronts the challenges and future possibilities in this rapidly evolving field, including resistance mechanisms and strategies for tissue-specific delivery. Our goal is to promote further innovation and advance therapeutic development.
By featuring contributions from top-tier researchers in the fields of medicinal chemistry, structural biology, and pharmacology, this Special Issue provides an invaluable resource for scientists seeking to harness the immense potential of targeted protein degradation in drug discovery. We believe the insights and advances shared here will inspire new ideas and lead to groundbreaking findings, accelerating the development of next-generation therapeutics that could revolutionize patient care.
Dr. Asim Debnath
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- PROTAC
- drug design
- medicinal chemistry
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