title: Peptides for cell-selective drug delivery.
abstract: The ability to target specific cell types to achieve optimal distribution of therapeutic entities into diseased tissues, while limiting possible adverse off-target effects, has long been a goal of many research groups and pharmaceutical organizations. This review focuses on peptidic tissue-specific biomarkers that allow peptides to act as homing devices for specific tissue types or organs, with a focus on homing peptides (HPs) and cell-penetrating homing peptides (CPHPs). These HPs, in addition to promoting cellular uptake, can deliver a variety of cargos (drugs, oligonucleotides and nanoparticles) into cells. Two such peptides that have entered clinical trials are the tumor-homing peptide asparagine-glycine-arginine (NGR) (fused to human tumor necrosis factor), which selectively binds CD13, an aminopeptidase that is overexpressed on tumor blood vessels, and cyclo[Arg-Gly-Asp-D-Phe-(NMeVal)] (cRGD, cilengitide), an anti-angiogenic agent that targets the α(v)β(3) and α(v)β(5) integrins.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Joseph Black Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JJ, UK.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Svensen
authors.forename: Jeffrey G A
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Walton
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bradley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057846:Cell-Penetrating Peptides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D057846:Cell-Penetrating Peptides; C526428:NGR peptide; D009842:Oligopeptides