Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41501210›Full record

ArticleOncogene2026

EZH2 PROTACs outperform catalytic inhibitors in prostate cancer by targeting a methylation-independent function of PRC2.

Wanqing Xie, Qi Chu, Lourdes Brea, Guihua Zeng, Yuan Wang, Xiaodong Lu, Mohan Zheng, Corinne R Ley, Zhiquan Lei, Hongshun Shi and 11 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Oncogene, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. PROTACs in cancer therapy: targeted degradation of GPX4, PARP and epigenetic regulators.Journal of enzyme inhibition and medicinal chemistry · 2026
    Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors.

Wanqing XieDepartment of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Qi ChuDepartment of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Lourdes BreaDepartment of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9727-7185
Guihua ZengDivision of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Yuan WangDepartment of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Xiaodong LuDepartment of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4731-0762
Mohan ZhengDepartment of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Corinne R LeyDepartment of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
Zhiquan LeiDepartment of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
Hongshun ShiDepartment of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-2576-6288
Joshua L ZhuDepartment of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
Lihu GongCecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
M Cynthia MartinDepartment of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
Xianglin ShiDepartment of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Galina GritsinaDivision of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Arabela A GrigorescuDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
Hana ChandonnetDepartment of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Xin LiuCecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
Jonathan C ZhaoDivision of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3163-380X
Gary E SchiltzDepartment of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4180-5051
Jindan YuDepartment of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. jindan.yu@emory.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2326-0409

Funding

Tumor Environment and Metastasis (TEAM) Research ProgramP30CA060553 · NCI · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI Devalingam Mahalingam · 1993 to 2026
$153.9M
CARCINOGENESIS TRAINING PROGRAMT32CA009560 · NCI · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI Kathleen Janee Green · 1986 to 2026
$8.4M
Degrading therapeutically important kinases using small moleculesR01CA218278 · NCI · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI Eric Sebastian Fischer, NATHANAEL Schiander GRAY · 2019 to 2026
$4.6M
The molecular basis of IMiD induced neo-substrate recruitment to the CRL4CRBN ubiquitin E3 ligase.R01CA214608 · NCI · DANA-FARBER CANCER INST · PI Eric Sebastian Fischer · 2017 to 2026
$4.0M
Development of Protein Degraders Targeting EZH2 Non-enzymatic Functions in Prostate CancerR01CA293596 · NCI · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI Gary E Schiltz, Jindan Yu · 2024 to 2026
$3.1M
Molecular Basis of Gene Regulation by Polycomb Repressive Complex 2R35GM136308 · NIGMS · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · PI LIU, XIN · 2020 to 2024
$2.9M
Role of NF90 in Prostate CancerR01CA227918 · NCI · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI YU, JINDAN · 2018 to 2022
$1.8M
Genomics and bioinformatics analysis to understand castration-resistant prostate cancerR50CA211271 · NCI · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI ZHAO, CHANGSHENG · 2016 to 2020
$701k
Understanding Molecular Crosstalk Between EZHIP and PRC2 in PFA EpendymomaR21NS137323 · NINDS · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · PI LIU, XIN · 2024 to 2025
$445k
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA060553NCI NIH HHS R01 CA214608NCI NIH HHS R01 CA218278NCI NIH HHS R01 CA227918NCI NIH HHS R01 CA293596NCI NIH HHS R50 CA211271NCI NIH HHS T32 CA009560NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM136308NINDS NIH HHS R21 NS137323U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | Center for Scientific Review (NIH Center for Scientific Review) 1R01CA227918U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | Center for Scientific Review (NIH Center for Scientific Review) 1R50CA211271U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | Center for Scientific Review (NIH Center for Scientific Review) GM136308U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | Center for Scientific Review (NIH Center for Scientific Review) NS137323U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Cancer Institute (NCI) 1R01CA293596
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) is the enzymatic subunit of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2). It catalyzes H3K27 methylation for epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressors and critically drives prostate cancer (PCa) progression. However, inhibitors of EZH2 catalytic function (EZH2i), such as EPZ-6438, showed limited efficacy in PCa. Here, we designed and developed a series of VHL-based proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) degraders of EZH2 using EPZ-6438 as a ligand and identified PROTAC-6272 as a lead compound. PROTAC-6272 effectively degraded EZH2 and other PRC2 subunits across diverse PCa cell lines. However, PROTAC-6272 and other similar EZH2i-based PROTACs were consistently unable to decrease androgen receptor (AR), a gene that is directly activated by solo EZH2. Mechanistically, EZH2 PROTACs failed to degrade EZH2 coactivators, such as p300, due to their inability to engage EZH2 outside of the PRC2 complex. Nevertheless, PROTAC-6272 exhibited anti-proliferative activities superior to EPZ-6438 in some PCa models, wherein it induced p21 expression and cellular senescence by disrupting a methylation-independent PRC2 function. In summary, while EZH2i-based PROTACs failed to target the PRC2-independent functions of EZH2, they confer added benefits over EPZ-6438 by abolishing a polycomb-dependent but methylation-independent function of EZH2, offering therapeutic advantages in some PCa.

Indexed as

Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 ProteinPolycomb Repressive Complex 2Prostatic NeoplasmsCell Line, TumorCell ProliferationHumansMaleMethylationProteolysisProteolysis Targeting ChimeraReceptors, AndrogenEnhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 ProteinEZH2 protein, humanPolycomb Repressive Complex 2Proteolysis Targeting ChimeraReceptors, Androgen

Identifiers

PMID41501210
PMCPMC12846922

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.