CYpHER: catalytic extracellular targeted protein degradation with high potency and durable effect

Abstract Many disease-causing proteins have multiple pathogenic mechanisms, and conventional inhibitors struggle to reliably disrupt more than one. Targeted protein degradation (TPD) can eliminate the protein, and thus all its functions, by directing a cell’s protein turnover machinery towards it. Two established strategies either engage catalytic E3 ligases or drive uptake towards the endolysosomal pathway. Here we describe CYpHER (CatalYtic pH-dependent Endolysosomal delivery with Recycling) technology with potency and durability from a catalytic mechanism that shares the specificity and straightforward modular design of endolysosomal uptake. By bestowing pH-dependent release on the target engager and using the rapid-cycling transferrin receptor as the uptake receptor, CYpHER induces endolysosomal delivery of surface and extracellular targets while re-using drug, potentially yielding increased potency and reduced off-target tissue exposure risks. The TfR-based approach allows targeting to tumors that overexpress this receptor and offers the potential for transport to the CNS. CYpHER function was demonstrated in vitro with EGFR and PD-L1, and in vivo with EGFR in a model of EGFR-driven non-small cell lung cancer.