Peptide‑based therapeutic strategies for glioma: Current state and prospects

Abstract

Glioma is a prevalent form of primary malignant central nervous system tumor, characterized by its cellular invasiveness, rapid growth, and the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB)/blood-brain tumor barrier (BBTB). Current therapeutic approaches, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, have shown limited efficacy in achieving significant antitumor effects. Therefore, there is an urgent demand for new treatments. Therapeutic peptides represent an innovative class of pharmaceutical agents with lower immunogenicity and toxicity. They are easily modifiable via chemical means and possess deep tissue penetration capabilities which reduce side effects and drug resistance. These unique pharmacokinetic characteristics make peptides a rapidly growing class of new therapeutics that have demonstrated significant progress in glioma treatment. This review outlines the efforts and accomplishments in peptide-based therapeutic strategies for glioma. These therapeutic peptides can be classified into four types based on their anti-tumor function: tumor-homing peptides, inhibitor/antagonist peptides targeting cell surface receptors, interference peptides, and peptide vaccines. Furthermore, we briefly summarize the results from clinical trials of therapeutic peptides in glioma, which shows that peptide-based therapeutic strategies exhibit great potential as multifunctional players in glioma therapy.