The discovery of antibiotics revolutionized modern medicine, enabling the treatment of once-deadly bacterial infections. However, the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has severely limited their effectiveness, making antimicrobial resistance (AMR) a major global health challenge. Developing new antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action is notably difficult. A promising approach is targeted protein degradation (TPD), a technology that has transformed drug discovery and shown success in cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and immunology. In this review, we explore the potential of TPD to create next-generation antibacterials, its advantages over conventional antibiotics, and current research on prokaryotic protein degradation systems and BacPROTAC molecules.
Milelli, A., Raimondi, S., Asgharpour, S., Docquier, J., Spyrakis, F. (2026). Antibacterial PROTACs: the road ahead for next-generation antibiotics?. DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY, 31(3), 1-9 [10.1016/j.drudis.2026.104656].
Antibacterial PROTACs: the road ahead for next-generation antibiotics?
Milelli, Andrea
;Raimondi, Simone;
2026
Abstract
The discovery of antibiotics revolutionized modern medicine, enabling the treatment of once-deadly bacterial infections. However, the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has severely limited their effectiveness, making antimicrobial resistance (AMR) a major global health challenge. Developing new antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action is notably difficult. A promising approach is targeted protein degradation (TPD), a technology that has transformed drug discovery and shown success in cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and immunology. In this review, we explore the potential of TPD to create next-generation antibacterials, its advantages over conventional antibiotics, and current research on prokaryotic protein degradation systems and BacPROTAC molecules.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
