Estrogen
receptor α (ERα) plays a pivotal role in the
proliferation, differentiation, and migration of breast cancer (BC)
cells, and aromatase (ARO) is a crucial enzyme in estrogen synthesis.
Hence, it is necessary to inhibit estrogen production or the activity
of ERα for the treatment of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) BC. Herein, we present a new category of dual-targeting
PROTAC degraders designed to specifically target ERα and ARO.
Among them, compound 18c bifunctionally degrades and
inhibits ERα/ARO, thus effectively suppressing the proliferation
of MCF-7 cells while showing negligible cytotoxicity to normal cells. In vivo, 18c promotes the degradation of ERα
and ARO and inhibits the growth of MCF-7 xenograft tumors. Finally,
compound 18c demonstrates promising antiproliferative
and ERα degradation activity against the ERαMUT cells. These findings suggest that 18c, being the inaugural
dual-targeting degrader for ERα and ARO, warrants further advancement
for the management of BC and the surmounting of endocrine resistance.