Harnessing the Power of Natural Products for Targeted Protein Degradation

Natural products have garnered significant attention due to their complex chemical structures and remarkable pharmacological activities. With inherent recognition capabilities for protein surfaces, natural products serve as ideal candidates for designing proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs). The utilization of natural products in PROTAC development offers distinct advantages, including their rich chemical diversity, multitarget activities, and sustainable sourcing. This comprehensive review explores the vast potential of harnessing natural products in PROTAC research. Moreover, the review discusses the application of natural degradant technology, which involves utilizing natural product-based compounds to selectively degrade disease-causing proteins, as well as the implementation of computer-aided drug design (CADD) technology in identifying suitable targets for degradation within the realm of natural products. By harnessing the power of natural products and leveraging computational tools, PROTACs derived from natural products have the potential to revolutionize drug discovery and provide innovative therapeutic interventions for various diseases.