Chronic activation or upregulation of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) has been linked to several diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, atopic dermatitis, Alzheimer’s disease and atherosclerosis. Researchers from the Ocean University of China aimed to address the limitations of traditional small-molecule inhibitors by designing novel proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) for IRAK4 degradation.