Protein / target

DNA damage-binding protein 1

DDB1Q16531Homo sapiensSwiss-Prot
Clinically validated
Therapeutic maturity
3
Approved medicines
30
Clinical trials
Small-molecule tractable
Druggability
Approved Drug

Protein at a glance

Biological role

Ubiquitin ligase complex scaffold activity

Primary system

Immune system

Strongest disease association

White-Kernohan syndrome

Genetic evidence · score 0.77

Therapeutic maturity

Clinically validated target

3 approved medicines against this target

Druggability

Small molecule

Open Targets tractability · Approved Drug

Clinical development

3 approved · 1 in clinical development

30 linked trials

Derived from structured UniProt, Open Targets and literature data on this page.

Protein profile

UniProt 2026_02

Canonical identity and biological annotation from UniProt.

Function

Protein, which is both involved in DNA repair and protein ubiquitination, as part of the UV-DDB complex and DCX (DDB1-CUL4-X-box) complexes, respectively (PubMed:14739464, PubMed:15448697, PubMed:16260596, PubMed:16407242, PubMed:16407252, PubMed:16482215, PubMed:16940174, PubMed:17079684, PubMed:25970626). Core component of the UV-DDB complex (UV-damaged DNA-binding protein complex), a complex that recognizes UV-induced DNA damage and recruit proteins of the nucleotide excision repair pathway (the NER pathway) to initiate DNA repair (PubMed:15448697, PubMed:16260596, PubMed:16407242, PubMed:16940174). The UV-DDB complex preferentially binds to cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD), 6-4 photoproducts (6-4 PP), apurinic sites and short mismatches (PubMed:15448697, PubMed:16260596, PubMed:16407242, PubMed:16940174). Also functions as a component of numerous distinct DCX (DDB1-CUL4-X-box) E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase complexes which mediate the ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation of target proteins (PubMed:14739464, PubMed:16407252, PubMed:16482215, PubMed:17079684, PubMed:18332868, PubMed:18381890, PubMed:19966799, PubMed:22118460, PubMed:25043012, PubMed:25108355, PubMed:28886238). The functional specificity of the DCX E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase complex is determined by the variable substrate recognition component recruited by DDB1 (PubMed:14739464, PubMed:16407252, PubMed:16482215, PubMed:17079684, PubMed:18332868, PubMed:18381890, PubMed:19966799, PubMed:22118460, PubMed:25043012, PubMed:25108355). DCX(DDB2) (also known as DDB1-CUL4-ROC1, CUL4-DDB-ROC1 and CUL4-DDB-RBX1) may ubiquitinate histone H2A, histone H3 and histone H4 at sites of UV-induced DNA damage (PubMed:16473935, PubMed:16678110, PubMed:17041588, PubMed:18593899). The ubiquitination of histones may facilitate their removal from the nucleosome and promote subsequent DNA repair (PubMed:16473935, PubMed:16678110, PubMed:17041588, PubMed:18593899). DCX(DDB2) also ubiquitinates XPC, which may enhance DNA-binding by XPC and promote NER (PubMed:15882621). DCX(DTL) plays a role in PCNA-dependent polyubiquitination of CDT1 and MDM2-dependent ubiquitination of TP53 in response to radiation-induced DNA damage and during DNA replication (PubMed:17041588). DCX(ERCC8) (the CSA complex) plays a role in transcription-coupled repair (TCR) (PubMed:12732143, PubMed:32355176, PubMed:38316879). The DDB1-CUL4A-DTL E3 ligase complex regulates the circadian clock function by mediating the ubiquitination and degradation of CRY1 (PubMed:26431207). DDB1-mediated CRY1 degradation promotes FOXO1 protein stability and FOXO1-mediated gluconeogenesis in the liver (By similarity). By acting on TET dioxygenses, essential for oocyte maintenance at the primordial follicle stage, hence essential for female fertility (By similarity). Maternal factor required for proper zygotic genome activation and genome reprogramming (By similarity)

Subcellular location

CytoplasmNucleus
Domains and Gene Ontology detail (55)

Gene Ontology

  • Cchromosome, telomeric region
  • CCul4-RING E3 ubiquitin ligase complex
  • CCul4A-RING E3 ubiquitin ligase complex
  • CCul4B-RING E3 ubiquitin ligase complex
  • Ccytoplasm
  • Cextracellular exosome
  • Cextracellular space
  • Cnucleolus
  • Cnucleoplasm
  • Cnucleus
  • Cprotein-containing complex
  • Csite of double-strand break

1140 aa · 127 kDa · 2 isoforms

Biological roles

Reactome v97

What this protein does, drawn together from its UniProt function, Gene Ontology terms and Reactome pathways.

Transcriptional regulationUniProt · GO · ReactomeImmune signallingGOApoptosis & cell deathGO
View supporting evidence

Transcriptional regulation

  • ·Protein, which is both involved in DNA repair and protein ubiquitination, as part of the…
  • ·epigenetic regulation of gene expression
  • ·Transcription-Coupled Nucleotide Excision Repair (TC-NER)

Immune signalling

  • ·positive regulation by virus of viral protein levels in host cell
  • ·regulation of mitotic cytokinesis
  • ·viral release from host cell

Apoptosis & cell death

  • ·regulation of apoptotic process
View underlying pathways (10)

Concepts derived from UniProt GO Reactome — each badge above shows which sources supported that role.

Interaction neighbourhood

STRING v12.0

Proteins with the strongest functional or physical association. Node size and line weight reflect STRING confidence; hover or select a partner to inspect one association.

ERCC8DCAF1ENSP00…CUL4ADCAF4DDA1DDB2DCAF11FBXW5RBX1DDB1

10 strongest partners — larger node and heavier line mean higher confidence

Functional and physical associations from STRING v12.0. Only associations with this protein are drawn — partner-to-partner links are not part of this evidence.

Drugs targeting this protein

2

Whether each drug engages this protein directly or through a complex, and how many other targets are recorded for it. Direct binders with few recorded targets are listed first.

Thalidomide
ApprovedInhibitor

CRL4(CRBN) E3 ubiquitin ligase inhibitor

Appears in clinical studies involving plasma cell myeloma, immune system disorder, prostate cancer, non-small cell lung carcinoma

Acts on a complex — shared with CRBN, CUL4A, RBX1 · 1 of 4 recorded protein targets

lenalidomide
ApprovedInhibitor

CRL4(CRBN) E3 ubiquitin ligase inhibitor

Appears in clinical studies involving anemia, mantle cell lymphoma, myelodysplastic syndrome, plasma cell myeloma

Acts on a complex — shared with CRBN, CUL4A, RBX1 · 1 of 4 recorded protein targets

ChEMBL mechanism, action type and target identity. Open Targets clinical status and indications.

Translational evidence

Open Targets 26

Why this target matters therapeutically — disease associations, drugs in development, tractability and safety, from Open Targets.

Strongest genetic associations

Human genetic evidence — the most direct causal link between this target and a disease.

White-Kernohan syndrome0.77

Genetic · overall 0.65

Highest-confidence therapeutic associations

Diseases where a drug acting on this target has already reached clinical development.

plasma cell myeloma0.99

Clinical · overall 0.61

follicular lymphoma0.93

Clinical · overall 0.57

myelodysplastic syndrome0.93

Clinical · overall 0.56

mantle cell lymphoma0.90

Clinical · overall 0.55

immune system disorder0.83

Clinical · overall 0.50

Highest overall evidence

Remaining associations by Open Targets' aggregated evidence score.

anemia0.49

Clinical

neurodegenerative disease0.45

Pathway

diffuse large B-cell lymphoma0.41

Clinical

marginal zone lymphoma0.40

Clinical

Show all associations
White-Kernohan syndrome0.65
plasma cell myeloma0.61
follicular lymphoma0.57
myelodysplastic syndrome0.56
mantle cell lymphoma0.55
immune system disorder0.50
anemia0.49
neurodegenerative disease0.45
diffuse large B-cell lymphoma0.41
marginal zone lymphoma0.40

Open Targets ranks 392 associations for this target and we store the top 10 by aggregated score. The long tail is largely literature co-mention and RNA-expression evidence, not evidence that this target drives those diseases.

Known drugs · 4 total

IBERDOMIDEPhase 3

plasma cell myeloma · sarcoidosis · systemic lupus erythematosus

LENALIDOMIDEApproval

anemia · mantle cell lymphoma · myelodysplastic syndrome

POMALIDOMIDEApproval

plasma cell myeloma · systemic sclerosis · immune system disorder

THALIDOMIDEApproval

plasma cell myeloma · immune system disorder · prostate cancer

Tractability

SM · Approved DrugSM · Structure with LigandSM · High-Quality LigandSM · High-Quality PocketPR · UniProt UbiquitinationPR · Database UbiquitinationPR · Half-life DataPR · Small Molecule Binder

Clinical trials

30

Trials of drugs that target this protein — reached indirectly through those drugs, so a trial listed here studies the drug, not the protein.

Show remaining trials (24)

UNKNOWN · via lenalidomide · NCT04025593

ClinicalTrials.gov via the drug-target graph.

Forefront confidence

Synthesis

Our own weighting of the evidence behind each disease association. Human genetics and clinical evidence count for most; literature co-mention counts for little, because two entities sharing an abstract is not evidence that one drives the other.

White-Kernohan syndromeWell supported
0.77
agreement 0.630.91
Genetic100%Literature0%Genetic literaturedup

Open Targets aggregate 0.65 · 2 independent evidence families · 1 not counted as duplicate

plasma cell myelomaModerately supported
0.75
agreement 0.590.90
Clinical98%Literature2%

Open Targets aggregate 0.61 · 2 independent evidence families

follicular lymphomaModerately supported
0.70
agreement 0.530.86
Clinical100%

Open Targets aggregate 0.57 · 1 independent evidence family

myelodysplastic syndromeModerately supported
0.69
agreement 0.540.85
Clinical100%Literature0%

Open Targets aggregate 0.56 · 2 independent evidence families

mantle cell lymphomaModerately supported
0.68
agreement 0.530.83
Clinical99%Literature1%

Open Targets aggregate 0.55 · 2 independent evidence families

The evidence agreement range shows how closely the independent evidence families agree — it is not a statistical confidence interval, and nothing here is fitted to outcome data. Derived from Open Targets evidence types under Forefront weighting; the underlying per-type scores are shown above so the calculation can be checked.

What's happening now

60

Recent activity around this target, drawn from one canonical event stream. Every item is reached through 2 drugs that target this protein, so each event is news about that drug rather than about the protein directly.

  1. Label change2026-07-22

    Label change: LENALIDOMIDE (NDA021880)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via lenalidomide

  2. Industry development2026-06-29
    Advanced hierarchical ZnFe-LDH@MnO₂ nanostructures for sensitive voltammetric determination of lenalidomide

    Nature — Environmental Sciences · news · via lenalidomide

  3. Label change2026-06-15

    Label change: LENALIDOMIDE (ANDA201452)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via lenalidomide

  4. Label change2026-06-15

    Label change: LENALIDOMIDE (ANDA201452)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via lenalidomide

  5. Supplemental approval2026-04-27

    Supplemental approval: LENALIDOMIDE (ANDA201452)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via lenalidomide

  6. Supplemental approval2026-04-27

    Supplemental approval: LENALIDOMIDE (NDA021880)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via lenalidomide

  7. Supplemental approval2023-03-24

    Supplemental approval: LENALIDOMIDE (ANDA201452)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via lenalidomide

  8. Supplemental approval2023-03-24

    Supplemental approval: LENALIDOMIDE (NDA021880)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via lenalidomide

  9. Regulatory approval2023-03-06

    Approval: LENALIDOMIDE (ANDA201452)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via lenalidomide

  10. Regulatory approval2022-09-19

    Approval: Thalidomide Lipomed (EMA)

    ema · regulatory · ema · via Thalidomide

  11. Label change2022-05-24

    Label change: LENALIDOMIDE (NDA021880)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via lenalidomide

  12. Label change2021-08-31

    Label change: LENALIDOMIDE (NDA021880)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via lenalidomide

Objective event titles are shown unmodified; the event kind and significance line are derived from structured fields. Forefront AttentionEvent stream aggregating Europe PMC Regulatory filings ClinicalTrials.gov.