Peptide-Based Agents for Cancer Treatment: Current Applications and Future Directions

Abstract

Peptide-based strategies have received an enormous amount of attention because of their specificity and applicability. Their specificity and tumor-targeting ability are applied to diagnosis and treatment for cancer patients. In this review, we will summarize recent advancements and future perspectives on peptide-based strategies for cancer treatment. The literature search was conducted to identify relevant articles for peptide-based strategies for cancer treatment. It was performed using PubMed for articles in English until June 2023. Information on clinical trials was also obtained from ClinicalTrial.gov. Given that peptide-based strategies have several advantages such as targeted delivery to the diseased area, personalized designs, relatively small sizes, and simple production process, bioactive peptides having anti-cancer activities (anti-cancer peptides or ACPs) have been tested in pre-clinical settings and clinical trials. The capability of peptides for tumor targeting is essentially useful for peptide–drug conjugates (PDCs), diagnosis, and image-guided surgery. Immunomodulation with peptide vaccines has been extensively tested in clinical trials. Despite such advantages, FDA-approved peptide agents for solid cancer are still limited. This review will provide a detailed overview of current approaches, design strategies, routes of administration, and new technological advancements. We will highlight the success and limitations of peptide-based therapies for cancer treatment.

Peptide-Drug Conjugates: Design, Chemistry, and Drug Delivery System as a Novel Cancer Theranostic

“…The following time-line scheme (Figure 4) capture the knowledge on peptide drugs in clinics for cancer diagnosis and therapy during 1985−2023, further detailed description of these peptides reported elsewhere. 32 Cell-Penetrating Peptides. The outer cell membrane plays an important role as a physiological barrier to cross the plasma membrane for nucleic acids, proteins, biological macromolecules, and nanocarriers, such as micelles, liposomes, and nanoparticles.…”

Peptide-Mediated Nanocarriers for Targeted Drug Delivery: Developments and Strategies

“…Peptide drugs are recognized for their low toxicity, low immunogenicity, high tissue permeability, and easy synthesis and modification [ 154 ]. This results in poor in vivo stability by a variety of proteases, high blood and renal clearance, and many limitations in practical applications [ 155 , 156 ].…”

Targeting the Oxytocin Receptor for Breast Cancer Management: A Niche for Peptide Tracers

“…200 Taken together, these clinical trials support the safety and efficacy of peptide-based radiotracers and the theranostic opportunities of PRRT, providing a strong foundation for a thriving biotech industry that is already embracing these approaches and seeing the therapeutic potential of peptide-based theranostics. 201 , 202 …”