Environmentally responsive peptides as anticancer drug carriers.
The tumor microenvironment provides multiple cues that may be exploited to improve the efficacy of established chemotherapeutics; furthermore, polypeptides are uniquely situated to capitalize on these signals. Peptides provide: 1) a rich repertoire of biologically specific interactions to draw upon; 2) environmentally responsive phase behaviors, which may be tuned to respond to signatures of disease; 3) opportunities to direct self-assembly; 4) control over routes of biodegradation; 5) the option to seamlessly combine functionalities into a single polymer via a one-step biosynthesis. As development of cancer-targeted nanocarriers expands, peptides provide a unique source of functional units that may target disease. This review explores potential microenvironmental physiology indicative of tumors and peptides that have demonstrated an ability to target and deliver to these signals.
Aluri
Suhaas
S
Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033-9121, USA.
Janib
Siti M
SM
Mackay
J Andrew
JA
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004337:Drug Carriers; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008024:Ligands; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010455:Peptides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010539:Permeability; D013696:Temperature
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D008024:Ligands; D010455:Peptides