Zebrafish as a model to evaluate peptide-related cancer therapies.
Peptide-derived drug discovery has experienced a remarkable resurgence in the past decade since the failure of small-molecule modulators to effectively access the large binding surfaces of intracellular protein-protein interactions as well as "undruggable" residues of certain disease-driving proteins. However, the effectiveness of peptide-based cancer therapies is being questioned in light of declines in pharmaceutical R&D efficiency. As a model of whole organism, zebrafish provide a means to develop promising peptide and protein anticancer agents in an informative, cost-effective and time-efficient manner, which also allows for surveying mechanisms of drug action and optimization of drug delivery system. This review highlights the achievements and potential of zebrafish for modelling human cancer and for peptide-based drug discovery and development. Specific challenges, possible strategies and future prospects are also discussed.
Department of Biology, Presbyterian College, Clinton, SC, 29325, USA.
Austin Y
AY
Shull
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, 87131-0001, USA.
Chien-An A
CA
Hu
Department of Oral Biology, Georgia Cancer Center of Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA. yteng@augusta.edu.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Augusta University, 1120 15th Street, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA. yteng@augusta.edu.
Yong
Y
Teng
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D015195:Drug Design; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010455:Peptides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D015027:Zebrafish
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D010455:Peptides; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations
Anti-cancer; Cancer models; Drugs; Peptides; Strategy and therapy; Zebrafish