Ghavimi Reza, Mahmoudi Samira, Mohammadi Mohsen, Khodamoradi Elahe, Jahanian-Najafabadi Ali
Division of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine and Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, LA, United States.
CinnaGen Medical Biotechnology Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, I.R. Iran.
Res Pharm Sci. 2025 Mar 31;20(2):165-187. doi: 10.4103/RPS.RPS_75_24. eCollection 2025 Apr.
Despite great advances in cancer identification and treatment, malignancies remain the primary cause of high morbidity and mortality worldwide. The drawbacks of conventional chemotherapy, such as severe toxicity, lack of specificity related to actively dividing cells, and resistance, can warrant the urgent need to develop an alternative approach to treat this disease. To overcome the drawbacks, researchers are attempting to deliver drugs to the site of action (targeted delivery) or to identify drugs that specifically target tumor cells. In this regard, highly cationic and amphipathic antimicrobial peptides are attracting the attention of researchers due to their potent anticancer activity, low cost of manufacture, and, most critically, tumor-targeting activity. A growing number of documents have shown that some of the mentioned peptides exhibited a broad spectrum of cytotoxic activity against cancer cells but not normal mammalian cells entitled as anticancer peptides. Due to their solubility, low toxicity, strong tumor penetration, high selectivity, and ability to be used alone or in conjunction with other conventional medications, anticancer peptides have the potential to become very successful cancer treatments in the future. This review provided an overview of the studies concerning anticancer peptide classification, modes of action, and selectivity, and also summarized some of the anticancer peptides developed for targeting different types of malignancies. The role of methods or artificial intelligence in the design and discovery of anticancer peptides was briefly explained. Additionally, the current review addressed challenges in utilizing anticancer peptides for cancer therapy and highlighted peptides currently undergoing clinical trials.
尽管在癌症识别和治疗方面取得了巨大进展，但恶性肿瘤仍然是全球高发病率和高死亡率的主要原因。传统化疗存在诸多弊端，如严重的毒性、与活跃分裂细胞相关的缺乏特异性以及耐药性等，这使得迫切需要开发一种替代方法来治疗这种疾病。为了克服这些弊端，研究人员正试图将药物递送至作用部位（靶向递送）或寻找特异性靶向肿瘤细胞的药物。在这方面，高度阳离子化且具有两亲性的抗菌肽因其强大的抗癌活性、低成本的制造以及最为关键的肿瘤靶向活性而吸引了研究人员的关注。越来越多的文献表明，上述一些肽对癌细胞表现出广泛的细胞毒性活性，但对正常哺乳动物细胞无此活性，这类肽被称为抗癌肽。由于其溶解性、低毒性、强大的肿瘤穿透性、高选择性以及可单独使用或与其他传统药物联合使用的能力，抗癌肽未来有可能成为非常成功的癌症治疗药物。本综述概述了有关抗癌肽分类、作用模式和选择性的研究，还总结了一些针对不同类型恶性肿瘤开发的抗癌肽。简要解释了方法或人工智能在抗癌肽设计和发现中的作用。此外，本综述还探讨了利用抗癌肽进行癌症治疗面临的挑战，并重点介绍了目前正在进行临床试验的肽。
