Selective PROTAC-mediated degradation of SMARCA2 is efficacious in SMARCA4 mutant cancers

The mammalian SWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable (SWI/SNF) helicase SMARCA4 is frequently mutated in cancer and inactivation results in a cellular dependence on its paralog, SMARCA2, thus making SMARCA2 an attractive synthetic lethal target. However, published data indicates that achieving a high degree of selective SMARCA2 inhibition is likely essential to afford an acceptable therapeutic index, and realizing this objective is challenging due to the homology with the SMARCA4 paralog. Herein we report the discovery of a potent and selective SMARCA2 proteolysis-targeting chimera molecule (PROTAC), A947. Selective SMARCA2 degradation is achieved in the absence of selective SMARCA2/4 PROTAC binding and translates to potent in vitro growth inhibition and in vivo efficacy in SMARCA4 mutant models, compared to wild type models. Global ubiquitin mapping and proteome profiling reveal no unexpected off-target degradation related to A947 treatment. Our study thus highlights the ability to transform a non-selective SMARCA2/4-binding ligand into a selective and efficacious in vivo SMARCA2-targeting PROTAC, and thereby provides a potential new therapeutic opportunity for patients whose tumors contain SMARCA4 mutations. SMARCA2 has been identified as a synthetic lethal target in SMARCA4 mutated tumors, however, homology between the two has hindered the development of selective SMARCA2 inhibitors. Here, the authors synthesize a proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) capable of SMARCA2 specific degradation and demonstrate its utility in the treatment of SMARCA4 mutated tumors.

Automated summary

This study reports the discovery of a potent and selective SMARCA2 proteolysis-targeting chimera molecule (PROTAC), A947. The authors demonstrate that selective SMARCA2 degradation can be achieved in the absence of selective SMARCA2/4 PROTAC binding, resulting in potent in vitro growth inhibition and in vivo efficacy in SMARCA4 mutant models. The study highlights a potential new therapeutic opportunity for patients with SMARCA4 mutations.