Cracking the ubiquitin code to unlock new drug targets
By 
Rachel Brazil2026-08-24T10:27:00
The approval of the first Protac cancer drug marks a turning point in medicine – but scientists are only beginning to decode the complex molecular language that makes it possible
More than 25 years after the idea was first proposed, protein-degrading drugs are finally coming of age. By hijacking the cell’s own ubiquitin-recycling machinery, a new generation of medicines is opening paths to tackle diseases once thought undruggable. As researchers unravel the intricacies of the ubiquitin code, they are uncovering not only powerful new therapeutic strategies for cancer, Parkinson’s disease and other conditions, but also surprising biology that suggests this ubiquitous cellular tag has far more secrets left to reveal.