Title:Engineered Peptides for Applications in Cancer-Targeted Drug Delivery and Tumor Detection
Volume: 17
Issue: 18
Author(s): R. Soudy, N. Byeon, Y. Raghuwanshi, S. Ahmed, A. Lavasanifar and K. Kaur*
Affiliation:
- Chapman University School of Pharmacy (CUSP), Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Chapman University, Irvine, CA, 92618-1908,United States
Keywords:
Aminopeptidase N, cancer targeting peptides, integrins, phage display, spot synthesis, targeted drug delivery, tumor
imaging.
Abstract: Cancer-targeting peptides as ligands for targeted delivery of anticancer drugs or drug carriers
have the potential to significantly enhance the selectivity and the therapeutic benefit of current
chemotherapeutic agents. Identification of tumor-specific biomarkers like integrins, aminopeptidase N,
and epidermal growth factor receptor as well as the popularity of phage display techniques along with
synthetic combinatorial methods used for peptide design and structure optimization have fueled the advancement
and application of peptide ligands for targeted drug delivery and tumor detection in cancer
treatment, detection and guided therapy. Although considerable preclinical data have shown remarkable
success in the use of tumor targeting peptides, peptides generally suffer from poor pharmacokinetics,
enzymatic instability, and weak receptor affinity, and they need further structural modification before
successful translation to clinics is possible. The current review gives an overview of the different
engineering strategies that have been developed for peptide structure optimization to confer selectivity
and stability. We also provide an update on the methods used for peptide ligand identification, and peptide-
receptor interactions. Additionally, some applications for the use of peptides in targeted delivery
of chemotherapeutics and diagnostics over the past 5 years are summarized.
