Targeting Undruggable Proteins With A Molecular Glue

InnovationConsumer TechTargeting Undruggable Proteins With A Molecular GlueByJennifer Kite-Powell,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I'm a senior tech contributor who writes about science and technologyFollow AuthorMay 16, 2026, 12:53pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Researchers at the Canadian Light Source have discovered a molecular glue that can bind two proteins together and will inactivate one, a discovery that could help scientists develop new ways to treat diseases driven by overactive proteins.gettyUp to 85% of disease-causing proteins remain beyond the reach of conventional drugs because they have difficult-to-target structures.Targeting difficult proteinsProteins regulate many of the body’s cellular functions, from immune responses to cell division. When proteins become overactive or fail to function properly, they can contribute to disease.Scientists from the University of British Columbia discovered a new method for designing drugs that bind more strongly to these proteins and block their disease-causing activity. Their research centered on treating a cancer protein that feeds the growth of most prostate cancers and showed that proteins previously believed to be undruggable, such as the prostate cancer protein, could be targeted by drugs. Using molecular glue to target proteinsUniversity of Toronto researcher Dr. Chetan Chana says many disease-driving proteins are difficult to target because they lack obvious drug-binding pockets or acquire mutations. A molecular glue binds two proteins together and marks one for destruction.“Molecular glues are difficult to rationally design and have been discovered serendipitously to date,” said Chana. “Thus, it’s been difficult to rationally design a molecule that can be used to destroy proteins, let alone tune the activity of a protein and this makes them resistant to c...