Shapira S, Fokra A, Arber N, Kraus S
Integrated Cancer Prevention Center, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizmann St., Tel Aviv 64239, Israel.
Curr Med Chem. 2014;21(21):2410-6. doi: 10.2174/0929867321666140205134616.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major health concern worldwide, as it is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. There are a number of treatment options for CRC, however many of them are disappointing. Therefore, significant efforts are directed towards the development of new biological therapies with improved efficacy. The use of peptides in CRC treatment holds promise as emerging novel anti-cancer agents. Targeted therapy based on the use of peptides that can directly target tumor cells without affecting normal cells is evolving as an alternative strategy to conventional therapies and particularly, chemotherapy. The main advantages of peptides are their relatively easy and rapid synthesis process, and the vast possibilities for chemical modifications that can be exploited for novel peptide design and improved delivery. Peptides can be utilized directly as cytotoxic agents or indirectly as they can act as carriers of cytotoxic agents, drugs, or radioisotopes by specifically targeting tumor cells. They can also be used for diagnostic purposes. Current research focuses on developing peptides that can serve as tumor targeting moieties, permeabilize membranes to induce cytotoxicy, radiolabeled peptides, and peptide vaccines. In addition, improving targeting to tumors, reducing side effects, due to non-specific toxicity, and unraveling the pharmacokinetic characteristics of potential peptides, for either therapeutic or diagnostic use, are also subjects of intensive investigation. This review provides a brief overview on the role of peptides in CRC diagnosis and therapy that are currently being investigated, and their potential applications in the clinical setting.
结直肠癌（CRC）是全球主要的健康问题，因为它是第三大最常被诊断出的癌症，也是癌症相关死亡的第二大主要原因。CRC有多种治疗选择，然而其中许多都不尽人意。因此，人们致力于开发疗效更佳的新型生物疗法。在CRC治疗中使用肽作为新兴的新型抗癌药物具有前景。基于使用能够直接靶向肿瘤细胞而不影响正常细胞的肽的靶向治疗正在成为传统疗法尤其是化疗的替代策略。肽的主要优点是其合成过程相对容易且快速，以及化学修饰的巨大可能性，可用于新型肽设计和改善递送。肽可以直接用作细胞毒性剂，也可以间接用作细胞毒性剂、药物或放射性同位素的载体，通过特异性靶向肿瘤细胞发挥作用。它们还可用于诊断目的。当前的研究重点是开发能够作为肿瘤靶向部分、使膜通透以诱导细胞毒性的肽、放射性标记的肽和肽疫苗。此外，提高对肿瘤的靶向性、减少由于非特异性毒性引起的副作用以及阐明潜在肽用于治疗或诊断用途的药代动力学特征，也是深入研究的课题。本综述简要概述了目前正在研究的肽在CRC诊断和治疗中的作用及其在临床环境中的潜在应用。
