miRNA inhibition by proximity-enabled Dicer inactivation

[Display omitted] •A proximity-enabled miRNA inhibition approach was reported.•The approach relies on the enzymatic inactivation of Dicer by bifunctional small molecules.•miR-21 inhibitor was successfully developed using this method.•This approach could be applied to generate bifunctional inhibitors for other miRNAs. microRNAs (miRNAs) are considered as master regulators of biological processes. Dysregulation of miRNA expression has been implicated in many human diseases. Driven by the key biological roles and the therapeutic potential, developing methods for miRNA regulation has become an intense research area. Due to favorable pharmacological properties, small molecule-based miRNA inhibition emerges as a promising strategy and significant progresses have been made. However, it remains challenging to regulate miRNA using small molecules because of the inherent difficulty in RNA targeting and inhibition. Herein we outline the workflow of generating bifunctional small molecule inhibitors blocking miRNA biogenesis through proximity-enabled inactivation of Dicer, an enzyme required for the processing of precursor miRNA (pre-miRNA) into mature miRNA. By conjugating a weak Dicer inhibitor with a pre-miRNA binder, the inhibitor can be delivered to the Dicer processing site associated with the targeted pre-miRNA, and as a result inhibiting Dicer-mediated pre-miRNA processing. This protocol can be applicable in producing bifunctional inhibitors for different miRNAs.