Photoswitchable Molecular Glues Enable Optical Control of Transcription Factor Degradation

Immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), which include thalidomide and its derivatives, have emerged as the standard of care against multiple myeloma. They function as molecular glues that bind to the E3 ligase cereblon (CRBN) and induce protein interactions with neosubstrates, including the transcription factors Ikaros (IKZF1) and Aiolos (IKZF3). The subsequent ubiquitylation and degradation of these transcription factors underlies the antiproliferative activity of IMiDs. Here, we introduce photoswitchable immunomodulatory drugs (PHOIMiDs) that can be used to degrade Ikaros and Aiolos in a light-dependent fashion. Our lead compound shows minimal activity in the dark and becomes an active degrader upon irradiation with violet light. It shows high selectivity over other transcription factors, regardless of its state, and could therefore be used to control the levels of Ikaros and Aiolos with high spatiotemporal precision.