Therapeutic Mechanism and Clinical Applications of Cell-penetrating Peptide

John Mao; Chiming Wei

doi:doi:10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12

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Therapeutic Mechanism and Clinical Applications of Cell-penetrating Peptide

John Mao, Chiming Wei^*

Published in International Journal of Immunology (Volume 13, Issue 2)

Received: 14 October 2024 Accepted: 9 April 2025 Published: 29 May 2025

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Abstract

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short peptides composed of 30 or fewer amino acids, with the ability to penetrate cellular membranes. Their therapeutic mechanism mainly lies in their ability to conjugate with a variety of biologically active substances, such as chemotherapeutic drugs, nucleic acids, proteins etc., forming complexes that can enter cells via energy-dependent endocytosis, delivering their cargo to the cell interior to exert their effects without affecting cell viability. In terms clinical application, CPPs show broad prospects. In the treatment of tumors, they can act as “smart carriers” for chemotherapy drugs, increasing the concentration of drugs within tumor cells and damage to normal tissues; they are also “powerful assistants” for gene therapy, effectively delivering nucleic acid-like substances, such as the MPG-8 membrane-penrating peptide carrying siRNA targeting cyclin B1 inhibits the growth of mouse transplanted tumors. In addition, they can also be used as “immunostim” of tumor vaccines to enhance immune response, and as “accurate navigation devices” of molecular imaging to assist in the surgical resection of tumors. Although there are still challenges such short half-life and incomplete understanding of the mechanism of action, with the deepening of research and the iteration of technology, CPPs are expected to provide new strategies and methods for treatment of a variety of diseases.

Published in	International Journal of Immunology (Volume 13, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12
Page(s)	31-41
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Cell Penetrating Peptide, Antivirus, Virus Infestation, Cervical Cancer

References

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Mao, J., Wei, C. (2025). Therapeutic Mechanism and Clinical Applications of Cell-penetrating Peptide. International Journal of Immunology, 13(2), 31-41. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12

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ACS Style

Mao, J.; Wei, C. Therapeutic Mechanism and Clinical Applications of Cell-penetrating Peptide. Int. J. Immunol. 2025, 13(2), 31-41. doi: 10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12

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Mao J, Wei C. Therapeutic Mechanism and Clinical Applications of Cell-penetrating Peptide. Int J Immunol. 2025;13(2):31-41. doi: 10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12

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@article{10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12,
  author = {John Mao and Chiming Wei},
  title = {Therapeutic Mechanism and Clinical Applications of Cell-penetrating Peptide
},
  journal = {International Journal of Immunology},
  volume = {13},
  number = {2},
  pages = {31-41},
  doi = {10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.iji.20251302.12},
  abstract = {Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short peptides composed of 30 or fewer amino acids, with the ability to penetrate cellular membranes. Their therapeutic mechanism mainly lies in their ability to conjugate with a variety of biologically active substances, such as chemotherapeutic drugs, nucleic acids, proteins etc., forming complexes that can enter cells via energy-dependent endocytosis, delivering their cargo to the cell interior to exert their effects without affecting cell viability. In terms clinical application, CPPs show broad prospects. In the treatment of tumors, they can act as “smart carriers” for chemotherapy drugs, increasing the concentration of drugs within tumor cells and damage to normal tissues; they are also “powerful assistants” for gene therapy, effectively delivering nucleic acid-like substances, such as the MPG-8 membrane-penrating peptide carrying siRNA targeting cyclin B1 inhibits the growth of mouse transplanted tumors. In addition, they can also be used as “immunostim” of tumor vaccines to enhance immune response, and as “accurate navigation devices” of molecular imaging to assist in the surgical resection of tumors. Although there are still challenges such short half-life and incomplete understanding of the mechanism of action, with the deepening of research and the iteration of technology, CPPs are expected to provide new strategies and methods for treatment of a variety of diseases.
},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Therapeutic Mechanism and Clinical Applications of Cell-penetrating Peptide

AU  - John Mao
AU  - Chiming Wei
Y1  - 2025/05/29
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12
T2  - International Journal of Immunology
JF  - International Journal of Immunology
JO  - International Journal of Immunology
SP  - 31
EP  - 41
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2329-1753
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12
AB  - Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short peptides composed of 30 or fewer amino acids, with the ability to penetrate cellular membranes. Their therapeutic mechanism mainly lies in their ability to conjugate with a variety of biologically active substances, such as chemotherapeutic drugs, nucleic acids, proteins etc., forming complexes that can enter cells via energy-dependent endocytosis, delivering their cargo to the cell interior to exert their effects without affecting cell viability. In terms clinical application, CPPs show broad prospects. In the treatment of tumors, they can act as “smart carriers” for chemotherapy drugs, increasing the concentration of drugs within tumor cells and damage to normal tissues; they are also “powerful assistants” for gene therapy, effectively delivering nucleic acid-like substances, such as the MPG-8 membrane-penrating peptide carrying siRNA targeting cyclin B1 inhibits the growth of mouse transplanted tumors. In addition, they can also be used as “immunostim” of tumor vaccines to enhance immune response, and as “accurate navigation devices” of molecular imaging to assist in the surgical resection of tumors. Although there are still challenges such short half-life and incomplete understanding of the mechanism of action, with the deepening of research and the iteration of technology, CPPs are expected to provide new strategies and methods for treatment of a variety of diseases.

VL  - 13
IS  - 2
ER  -

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Author Information

John Mao

The International Scientific Research Group, Veritas Collegiate Academy, Arlington, USA Department of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Academy of Biomedical Sciences, Hong Kong, China
Chiming Wei

The International Scientific Research Group, Veritas Collegiate Academy, Arlington, USA Department of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Academy of Biomedical Sciences, Hong Kong, China Department of Nano Medicine, American Nanomedicine Institute, Baltimore, USA

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Mao, J., Wei, C. (2025). Therapeutic Mechanism and Clinical Applications of Cell-penetrating Peptide. International Journal of Immunology, 13(2), 31-41. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12

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ACS Style

Mao, J.; Wei, C. Therapeutic Mechanism and Clinical Applications of Cell-penetrating Peptide. Int. J. Immunol. 2025, 13(2), 31-41. doi: 10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12

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AMA Style

Mao J, Wei C. Therapeutic Mechanism and Clinical Applications of Cell-penetrating Peptide. Int J Immunol. 2025;13(2):31-41. doi: 10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12,
  author = {John Mao and Chiming Wei},
  title = {Therapeutic Mechanism and Clinical Applications of Cell-penetrating Peptide
},
  journal = {International Journal of Immunology},
  volume = {13},
  number = {2},
  pages = {31-41},
  doi = {10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.iji.20251302.12},
  abstract = {Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short peptides composed of 30 or fewer amino acids, with the ability to penetrate cellular membranes. Their therapeutic mechanism mainly lies in their ability to conjugate with a variety of biologically active substances, such as chemotherapeutic drugs, nucleic acids, proteins etc., forming complexes that can enter cells via energy-dependent endocytosis, delivering their cargo to the cell interior to exert their effects without affecting cell viability. In terms clinical application, CPPs show broad prospects. In the treatment of tumors, they can act as “smart carriers” for chemotherapy drugs, increasing the concentration of drugs within tumor cells and damage to normal tissues; they are also “powerful assistants” for gene therapy, effectively delivering nucleic acid-like substances, such as the MPG-8 membrane-penrating peptide carrying siRNA targeting cyclin B1 inhibits the growth of mouse transplanted tumors. In addition, they can also be used as “immunostim” of tumor vaccines to enhance immune response, and as “accurate navigation devices” of molecular imaging to assist in the surgical resection of tumors. Although there are still challenges such short half-life and incomplete understanding of the mechanism of action, with the deepening of research and the iteration of technology, CPPs are expected to provide new strategies and methods for treatment of a variety of diseases.
},
 year = {2025}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Therapeutic Mechanism and Clinical Applications of Cell-penetrating Peptide

AU  - John Mao
AU  - Chiming Wei
Y1  - 2025/05/29
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12
T2  - International Journal of Immunology
JF  - International Journal of Immunology
JO  - International Journal of Immunology
SP  - 31
EP  - 41
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2329-1753
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.iji.20251302.12
AB  - Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short peptides composed of 30 or fewer amino acids, with the ability to penetrate cellular membranes. Their therapeutic mechanism mainly lies in their ability to conjugate with a variety of biologically active substances, such as chemotherapeutic drugs, nucleic acids, proteins etc., forming complexes that can enter cells via energy-dependent endocytosis, delivering their cargo to the cell interior to exert their effects without affecting cell viability. In terms clinical application, CPPs show broad prospects. In the treatment of tumors, they can act as “smart carriers” for chemotherapy drugs, increasing the concentration of drugs within tumor cells and damage to normal tissues; they are also “powerful assistants” for gene therapy, effectively delivering nucleic acid-like substances, such as the MPG-8 membrane-penrating peptide carrying siRNA targeting cyclin B1 inhibits the growth of mouse transplanted tumors. In addition, they can also be used as “immunostim” of tumor vaccines to enhance immune response, and as “accurate navigation devices” of molecular imaging to assist in the surgical resection of tumors. Although there are still challenges such short half-life and incomplete understanding of the mechanism of action, with the deepening of research and the iteration of technology, CPPs are expected to provide new strategies and methods for treatment of a variety of diseases.

VL  - 13
IS  - 2
ER  -

Copy | Download