Nsereko Yanyamba, Armstrong Amy, Coburn Fleur, Al Musaimi Othman
School of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK.
Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Jul 16;26(14):6815. doi: 10.3390/ijms26146815.
Cancer remains a leading global health burden, profoundly affecting patient survival and quality of life. Current treatments-including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and surgery-are often limited by toxicity or insufficient specificity. Conventional chemotherapy, for instance, indiscriminately attacks rapidly dividing cells, causing severe side effects. In contrast, peptide-based therapeutics offer a paradigm shift, combining high tumour-targeting precision with minimal off-target effects. Their low immunogenicity, multi-pathway modulation capabilities, and adaptability for diagnostics and therapy make them ideal candidates for advancing oncology care. Innovative peptide platforms now enable three transformative applications: (1) precision molecular diagnostics (e.g., F-PSMA-1007 for prostate cancer detection), (2) targeted therapies (e.g., BT5528 and SAR408701 targeting tumour-specific antigens), and (3) theranostic systems (e.g., RAYZ-8009 and Lu-FAP-2286 integrating imaging and radiotherapy). Despite their promise, peptides face challenges like metabolic instability and short half-lives. Recent advances in structural engineering (e.g., cyclization and D-amino acid incorporation) and delivery systems (e.g., nanoparticles and PEGylation) have significantly enhanced their clinical potential. This review highlights peptide-based agents in development, showcasing their ability to improve early cancer detection, reduce metastasis, and enhance therapeutic efficacy with fewer adverse effects. Examples like CLP002 underscore their role in personalised medicine. By overcoming current limitations, peptide drugs are poised to redefine cancer management, offering safer, more effective alternatives to conventional therapies. Their integration into clinical practice could mark a critical milestone in achieving precision oncology.
癌症仍然是全球主要的健康负担，深刻影响着患者的生存和生活质量。目前的治疗方法，包括化疗、放疗、免疫疗法和手术，往往受到毒性或特异性不足的限制。例如，传统化疗会不加区分地攻击快速分裂的细胞，导致严重的副作用。相比之下，基于肽的疗法带来了范式转变，将高肿瘤靶向精度与最小的脱靶效应相结合。它们的低免疫原性、多途径调节能力以及在诊断和治疗方面的适应性使其成为推进肿瘤护理的理想候选者。创新的肽平台现在实现了三种变革性应用：（1）精准分子诊断（例如，用于前列腺癌检测的F-PSMA-1007），（2）靶向治疗（例如，靶向肿瘤特异性抗原的BT5528和SAR408701），以及（3）治疗诊断系统（例如，整合成像和放疗的RAYZ-8009和Lu-FAP-2286）。尽管它们前景广阔，但肽面临着代谢不稳定性和半衰期短等挑战。结构工程（例如环化和引入D-氨基酸）和递送系统（例如纳米颗粒和聚乙二醇化）方面的最新进展显著增强了它们的临床潜力。本综述重点介绍了正在开发的基于肽的药物，展示了它们在改善早期癌症检测、减少转移以及提高治疗效果同时减少不良反应方面的能力。像CLP002这样的例子凸显了它们在个性化医疗中的作用。通过克服当前的局限性，肽药物有望重新定义癌症管理，为传统疗法提供更安全、更有效的替代方案。它们融入临床实践可能标志着实现精准肿瘤学的一个关键里程碑。
