Recent Progress in Modulation of WD40-Repeat Domain 5 Protein (WDR5): Inhibitors and Degraders

Abstract

WD40-repeat (WDR) domain proteins play a crucial role in mediating protein–protein interactions that sustain oncogenesis in human cancers. One prominent example is the interaction between the transcription factor MYC and its chromatin co-factor, WD40-repeat domain protein 5 (WDR5), which is essential for oncogenic processes. The MYC family of proteins is frequently overexpressed in various cancers and has been validated as a promising target for anticancer therapies. The recruitment of MYC to chromatin is facilitated by WDR5, highlighting the significance of their interaction. Consequently, inhibiting the MYC–WDR5 interaction has been shown to induce the regression of malignant tumors, offering an alternative approach to targeting MYC in the development of anticancer drugs. WDR5 has two protein interaction sites, the “WDR5-binding motif” (WBM) site for MYC interaction and the histone methyltransferases SET1 recognition motif “WDR5-interacting” (WIN) site forming MLL complex. Significant efforts have been dedicated to the discovery of inhibitors that target the WDR5 protein. More recently, the successful application of targeted protein degradation technology has enabled the removal of WDR5. This breakthrough has opened up new avenues for inhibiting the interaction between WDR5 and the binding partners. In this review, we address the recent progress made in targeting WDR5 to inhibit MDR5–MYC and MDR5–MLL1 interactions, including its targeted protein degradation and their potential impact on anticancer drug discovery.