Novel PROTAC probes targeting FOSL1 degradation to eliminate head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cancer stem cells

Previously, we identified that AP-1 transcription factor FOSL1 is required to maintain cancer stem cells (CSCs) in HNSCC, and an AP-1 inhibitor, T-5224, can eliminate HNSCC CSCs. However, its potency is relatively low, and furthermore, whether T-5224 eradicates CSCs through targeting FOSL1 and whether FOSL1 serves as an effective target for eliminating CSCs in HNSCC, require further validation. We first found that T-5224 can bind to FOSL1 directly. As a proof-of-principle, several cereblon (CRBN)-recruiting PROTACs were designed and synthesized using T-5224 as a warhead for more effective of targeting FOSL1. The top compound can potently degrade FOSL1 in HNSCC, thereby effectively eliminating CSCs to suppress HNSCC tumorigenesis, with around 30 to 100-fold improved potency over T-5224. In summary, our study further validates FOSL1 as an effective target for eliminating CSCs in HNSCC and suggests that PROTACs may provide a unique molecular tool for the development of novel molecules for targeting FOSL1.