# Cereblon (CRBN)

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/cereblon/  
OnCo record `cereblon` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

The protein that lenalidomide and pomalidomide latch onto. Bound drug changes which proteins the cell tags for destruction, degrading the myeloma transcription factors Ikaros and Aiolos.

## Summary

Cereblon is the substrate receptor of the CRL4 E3 ubiquitin ligase. Thalidomide, lenalidomide and pomalidomide act as molecular glues: bound to cereblon they recruit new substrates, above all the lymphoid transcription factors IKZF1 (Ikaros) and IKZF3 (Aiolos), for ubiquitination and destruction, which kills myeloma cells and stimulates T and natural killer cells. In del(5q) myelodysplastic syndrome lenalidomide degrades casein kinase 1 alpha instead. This mechanism founded the field of targeted protein degradation and is the template for molecular glue degraders.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-04
- Symbol: CRBN
- Class: other
- Biology: Substrate receptor of the CRL4 (CUL4, DDB1, RBX1) E3 ubiquitin ligase; immunomodulatory drugs redirect it to degrade IKZF1, IKZF3 and CK1 alpha.
- Where found: Multiple myeloma; Myelodysplastic syndrome with del(5q)

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cereblon
- UniProt Q96SW2: CRBN: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q96SW2/entry

## Connected records

- cancers: [Multiple myeloma](https://onco.cc/cancers/multiple-myeloma/), [Myelodysplastic syndromes / neoplasms (MDS)](https://onco.cc/cancers/mds/), [Newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, transplant-eligible](https://onco.cc/cancers/myeloma-transplant-eligible/), [Newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, transplant-ineligible](https://onco.cc/cancers/myeloma-transplant-ineligible/), [Relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma](https://onco.cc/cancers/myeloma-relapsed-refractory/)
- technologies: [Cereblon E3 ligase modulators (CELMoDs)](https://onco.cc/technologies/celmods/)
- drugs: [Lenalidomide](https://onco.cc/drugs/lenalidomide/), [Pomalidomide](https://onco.cc/drugs/pomalidomide/)
- terms: [del(5q) (5q- syndrome and lenalidomide response)](https://onco.cc/terms/del5q/)
- targets: [IKZF1 (Ikaros)](https://onco.cc/targets/ikzf1/), [IKZF3 (Aiolos)](https://onco.cc/targets/ikzf3/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/cereblon.json