Peptides as Versatile Regulators in Cancer Immunotherapy: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Future Prospects
The emergence of effective immunotherapies has revolutionized therapies for many types of cancer. However, current immunotherapy has limited efficacy in certain patient populations and displays therapeutic resistance after a period of treatment. To address these challenges, a growing number of immun...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Pharmaceutics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/1/46 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832587746521120768 |
|---|---|
| author | Yu Lei Jiacheng Liu Yaowei Bai Chuansheng Zheng Dongyuan Wang |
| author_facet | Yu Lei Jiacheng Liu Yaowei Bai Chuansheng Zheng Dongyuan Wang |
| author_sort | Yu Lei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The emergence of effective immunotherapies has revolutionized therapies for many types of cancer. However, current immunotherapy has limited efficacy in certain patient populations and displays therapeutic resistance after a period of treatment. To address these challenges, a growing number of immunotherapy drugs have been investigated in clinical and preclinical applications. The diverse functionality of peptides has made them attractive as a therapeutic modality, and the global market for peptide-based therapeutics is witnessing significant growth. Peptides can act as immunotherapeutic agents for the treatment of many malignant cancers. However, a systematic understanding of the interactions between different peptides and the host’s immune system remains unclear. This review describes in detail the roles of peptides in regulating the function of the immune system for cancer immunotherapy. Initially, we systematically elaborate on the relevant mechanisms of cancer immunotherapy. Subsequently, we categorize peptide-based nanomaterials into the following three categories: peptide-based vaccines, anti-cancer peptides, and peptide-based delivery systems. We carefully analyzed the roles of these peptides in overcoming the current barriers in immunotherapy, including multiple strategies to enhance the immunogenicity of peptide vaccines, the synergistic effect of anti-cancer peptides in combination with other immune agents, and peptide assemblies functioning as immune stimulators or vehicles to deliver immune agents. Furthermore, we introduce the current status of peptide-based immunotherapy in clinical applications and discuss the weaknesses and future prospects of peptide-based materials for cancer immunotherapy. Overall, this review aims to enhance comprehension of the potential applications of peptide-based materials in cancer immunotherapy and lay the groundwork for future research and clinical applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dd2ac33f5eaf475d8a3c34c347252bcd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1999-4923 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pharmaceutics |
| spelling | doaj-art-dd2ac33f5eaf475d8a3c34c347252bcd2025-01-24T13:45:42ZengMDPI AGPharmaceutics1999-49232025-01-011714610.3390/pharmaceutics17010046Peptides as Versatile Regulators in Cancer Immunotherapy: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Future ProspectsYu Lei0Jiacheng Liu1Yaowei Bai2Chuansheng Zheng3Dongyuan Wang4Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, ChinaDepartment of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, ChinaThe emergence of effective immunotherapies has revolutionized therapies for many types of cancer. However, current immunotherapy has limited efficacy in certain patient populations and displays therapeutic resistance after a period of treatment. To address these challenges, a growing number of immunotherapy drugs have been investigated in clinical and preclinical applications. The diverse functionality of peptides has made them attractive as a therapeutic modality, and the global market for peptide-based therapeutics is witnessing significant growth. Peptides can act as immunotherapeutic agents for the treatment of many malignant cancers. However, a systematic understanding of the interactions between different peptides and the host’s immune system remains unclear. This review describes in detail the roles of peptides in regulating the function of the immune system for cancer immunotherapy. Initially, we systematically elaborate on the relevant mechanisms of cancer immunotherapy. Subsequently, we categorize peptide-based nanomaterials into the following three categories: peptide-based vaccines, anti-cancer peptides, and peptide-based delivery systems. We carefully analyzed the roles of these peptides in overcoming the current barriers in immunotherapy, including multiple strategies to enhance the immunogenicity of peptide vaccines, the synergistic effect of anti-cancer peptides in combination with other immune agents, and peptide assemblies functioning as immune stimulators or vehicles to deliver immune agents. Furthermore, we introduce the current status of peptide-based immunotherapy in clinical applications and discuss the weaknesses and future prospects of peptide-based materials for cancer immunotherapy. Overall, this review aims to enhance comprehension of the potential applications of peptide-based materials in cancer immunotherapy and lay the groundwork for future research and clinical applications.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/1/46peptide-based nanomaterialspeptide vaccinescancer immunotherapydrug delivery |
| spellingShingle | Yu Lei Jiacheng Liu Yaowei Bai Chuansheng Zheng Dongyuan Wang Peptides as Versatile Regulators in Cancer Immunotherapy: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Future Prospects Pharmaceutics peptide-based nanomaterials peptide vaccines cancer immunotherapy drug delivery |
| title | Peptides as Versatile Regulators in Cancer Immunotherapy: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Future Prospects |
| title_full | Peptides as Versatile Regulators in Cancer Immunotherapy: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Future Prospects |
| title_fullStr | Peptides as Versatile Regulators in Cancer Immunotherapy: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Future Prospects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Peptides as Versatile Regulators in Cancer Immunotherapy: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Future Prospects |
| title_short | Peptides as Versatile Regulators in Cancer Immunotherapy: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Future Prospects |
| title_sort | peptides as versatile regulators in cancer immunotherapy recent advances challenges and future prospects |
| topic | peptide-based nanomaterials peptide vaccines cancer immunotherapy drug delivery |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/1/46 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yulei peptidesasversatileregulatorsincancerimmunotherapyrecentadvanceschallengesandfutureprospects AT jiachengliu peptidesasversatileregulatorsincancerimmunotherapyrecentadvanceschallengesandfutureprospects AT yaoweibai peptidesasversatileregulatorsincancerimmunotherapyrecentadvanceschallengesandfutureprospects AT chuanshengzheng peptidesasversatileregulatorsincancerimmunotherapyrecentadvanceschallengesandfutureprospects AT dongyuanwang peptidesasversatileregulatorsincancerimmunotherapyrecentadvanceschallengesandfutureprospects |