RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Development of an Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Antagonist Using the Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeric Molecules Approach: A Potential Tool for Chemoprevention JF Molecular Pharmacology JO Mol Pharmacol FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics SP 1064 OP 1071 DO 10.1124/mol.107.040840 VO 73 IS 4 A1 Dinesh Puppala A1 Hyosung Lee A1 Kyung Bo Kim A1 Hollie I. Swanson YR 2008 UL http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/73/4/1064.abstract AB Activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) by agonists and environmental contaminants like dioxin (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) leads to many adverse biological effects, including tumor promotion. With this in mind, we propose that agents that block the AHR pathway may be therapeutically beneficial, particularly by exhibiting chemopreventive activities. In our current research, we have focused on the development of an AHR antagonist using a chemical genetic approach called PROTACS (PROteolysis-TArgeting Chimeric moleculeS). PROTACS is a novel approach of tagging small recognition sequences of a specific E3 ubiquitin ligase complex to a known ligand for the receptor of interest (AHR) for targeting its degradation. Here, we present the design and initial characterization of AHR targeting PROTACS (Apigenin-Protac) designed to degrade and inhibit the AHR in epithelial cells. Our results demonstrate the “proof of concept” of this approach in effectively blocking AHR activity in cultured cells. The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics