A Study of Therapeutic Peptides and Their Application in Cancer Treatment and Recovery with an Emphasis on AntiCancer and Cell-Penetrating Peptides

Abstract

Cancer is known as one of the main causes of death in today's world. Given the fact that there are limitations to the use of common methods for cancer treatment, e.g. chemotherapy, due to drug resistance and lack of specificity for tumors, discovering new methods to overcome these challenges is necessary. Peptides have attracted scientists’ attention due to their properties, including easy synthesis, small size, biological diversity, and high activity and specificity. In this regard, cationic anticancer peptides (ACPs) and cell-permeable peptides (CPPs) have been considered for cancer treatment in recent years. The present study makes an attempt to review a number of available studies on ACPs and CPPs. The results show that antimicrobial peptides with anticancer properties act against cancer cells and tumors through membrane and non-membrane mechanisms. Moreover, CPPs conjugated to therapeutic agents are considered as an effective mechanism in cancer treatment by overcoming drug resistance. In addition, ACPs and CPPs can be proposed as a candidate for cancer treatment due to their properties, including low toxicity, mode of action, and ability to penetrate the cell membrane. Nevertheless, to understand the mechanism of action of these peptides with therapeutic potential, further studies should be conducted.