PubMed · 2026-05-14
A special journal issue compiles recent research on the cellular recycling system that tags and destroys unwanted or damaged proteins, highlighting how this system governs plant development, immunity, and disease, and how it could be targeted for new medical treatments.
The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) regulates plant development alongside animal immunity, gene expression, and disease pathways including cancer and neurodegeneration.
Two major international conferences in Asia (Shenzhen, China, late 2024 and Chennai, India, early 2025) produced a coordinated body of review literature underscoring rapid growth of UPS research across China, India, Israel, Korea, and Japan.
Emerging therapeutic tools such as PROTACs (molecules engineered to hijack the cellular shredder to destroy disease-causing proteins on demand) are positioning the UPS as a precision medicine platform.