Biomedical Relevance of Novel Anticancer Peptides in the Sensitive Treatment of Cancer

Abstract

The global increase in cancer mortality and economic losses necessitates the cautious quest for therapeutic agents with compensatory advantages over conventional therapies. Anticancer peptides (ACPs) are a subset of host defense peptides, also known as antimicrobial peptides, which have emerged as therapeutic and diagnostic candidates due to several compensatory advantages over the non-specificity of the current treatment regimens. This review aimed to highlight the ravaging incidence of cancer, the use of ACPs in cancer treatment with their mechanisms, ACP discovery and delivery methods, and the limitations for their use. This would create awareness for identifying more ACPs with better specificity, accuracy and sensitivity towards the disease. It would also promote their efficacious utilization in biotechnology, medical sciences and molecular biology to ease the severity of the disease and enable the patients living with these conditions to develop an accommodating lifestyle.

Multiple Antimicrobial Effects of Hybrid Peptides Synthesized Based on the Sequence of Ribosomal S1 Protein from Staphylococcus aureus

“…In general, the combination of amino acid regions with different properties determines a synergistic effect or several mechanisms of action of hybrid peptides [ 58 ], which ultimately manifests itself in a wide spectrum of their action against various types of bacteria. Antimicrobial peptides, in addition to antibacterial activity, can exhibit various biological effects, for example, antidiabetic action [ 59 ], anti-cancer effects of some AMPs have been shown [ 60 , 61 ]. It is known that minor changes in the primary structure of AMP can significantly affect not only the antimicrobial efficiency of peptides but also their mechanism of action [ 29 , 62 ].…”

Polycationic peptide R7-G-Aβ25-35 selectively induces cell death in leukemia Jurkat T cells through speedy mitochondrial depolarization, and CASPASE-3 -independent mechanism

“…Cell-penetrating peptides (C-PP) are promising anti-cancer agents [ 18 , 25 ]. Here, we report for the first time that the synthetic cationic peptide R 7 -G-Aβ 25-35 and Aβ 25-35 -G-R 7 , but not Aβ 25-35 peptide, induced cell death in Jurkat cells, albeit with different strengths.…”

“…Interestingly, not only they can impair microbial cell walls and plasma membrane phospholipids but also mitochondria in free-cell assays [ 16 , 17 ]. Currently, polycationic peptides have appeared as specifically anti-cancer therapeutic agents [ 18 ], targeting mitochondria acting as class 6 mitocan agents [ 19 , 20 ]. Since R oligomers have been shown to facilitate cellular uptake of cargo proteins [ 21 ] probably through membrane multilamellar and subsequently entrance via formation of a fusion pore [ 22 ], thereby enhancing their capacity to directly permeabilize mitochondria (e.g., Ref.…”

Clinical Applications and Anticancer Effects of Antimicrobial Peptides: From Bench to Bedside

“…To prevent harmful anti-ACP immune responses, the introduction of host defense peptides (HDPs) or co-administration of foreign ACP with immunosuppressants may be a palliative strategy. Besides, encapsulation of ACP in liposomes designed to deliver cargo directly to the tumor site may be promising because it minimizes the chances of the host acquiring anti-ACP immunity ( 185 ).…”