Development of novel targeted therapies

- based on peptides of the innate immune system

Our focus is on:

• Lactoferricin-derived peptides for cancer therapy

• PS-specific peptides for cancer therapy

• Targeting-peptides for selective drug delivery of cancer drugs

The investigated peptides are derived from the human innate immune system. More precisely from lactoferrin/lactoferricin, found in breast milk or exocrine secretions, which is highly important for antimicrobial and antitumour defence. These peptides are enhanced in their interaction with cancer cell membranes to enable the step from a defence to a therapeutic indication.

Targets of these newly developed antitumour peptides can be lipids such as phosphatidylserine, which is commonly exposed on cancer cell membranes.

In more recent studies, we are also targeting the receptor Gb3 (globotriaosylceramide), which is overexpressed on cervical cancer, for example. The effect on Gb3+ tumours is achieved by fusing the peptides with lectin.

Publications:

^{Riedl et al, 2014, 2015, 2017,doi: 10.1007/s10534-014-9749-0doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2015.07.018doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.17823 Wodlej et al, 2019,doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211187 Grissenberger et al, 2020,doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183264 Maxian et al, 2021,doi: 10.3390/ijms22168469 Wussmann et al, 2022,doi: 10.3390/biomedicines10112961. Pasupuleti et al, 2023,doi: 10.1002/pro.4830.}