This article (work in progress) investigates the potential of proof assistants (PAs) in the teaching and learning of mathematical proofs at the university level, with a focus on addressing students' difficulties during the transition from secondary to tertiary education. This transition involves a significant shift in students' relationship to mathematical proofs. PAs appear as additional teaching tools with pedagogical and didactic potential. They can provide immediate feedback, facilitate structured proof writing, and enhance students' engagement with formalization and formal reasoning. However, careful considerations regarding interface design, feedback mechanisms and instrumental geneses are presented. This article concludes by emphasizing the need for further research and development in PA-based proof education, particularly in bridging the gap between argumentation and formal proof, and in adapting PAs to different student needs, in a collaborative research perspective.