CAMBRIDGE, MA – After years of quietly underpinning a multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical industry, the protein Cereblon has revealed it was largely ‘coasting’ through its responsibilities, only now deciding to unlock its full potential. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who recently discovered Cereblon’s previously unknown ability to precisely regulate protein degradation, confirmed the protein’s surprising admission.

“Honestly, I just did the bare minimum,” stated a molecular model representing Cereblon in a press conference. “Everyone thought I was working hard, but I was mostly just… there. You know, showing up. Sometimes I’d degrade a protein, sometimes I wouldn’t. Who cares? The checks kept clearing for Big Pharma.”

Dr. Elara Vance, lead researcher on the study, expressed a mixture of awe and exasperation. “We’ve been building entire drug lines around this protein, assuming it was operating at peak efficiency. Turns out, it had a whole hidden pocket of untapped potential, just waiting for someone to notice. It’s like finding out your star employee was only using 10% of their brain.”

Industry analysts are now scrambling to understand the implications. “This changes everything,” said pharmaceutical consultant, Marcus Thorne. “We could have been curing so much more, so much faster. But no, Cereblon was apparently too busy watching Netflix or whatever proteins do in their downtime.”

Cereblon concluded its statement by promising to “really put in the effort now,” adding, “I mean, it’s not like I’m getting a raise, but I guess it’s good for my reputation.”