Enhancing Tumor Targeted Therapy: The Role of iRGD Peptide in Advanced Drug Delivery Systems

Simple Summary

The effectiveness of chemotherapy, the primary cancer treatment, is often limited in solid tumors due to poor drug penetration, resulting in subtherapeutic concentrations. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), short amino acid sequences that have the ability to enhance drug delivery with minimal toxicity, are emerging as a promising solution. The iRGD peptide, belonging to the CPP class, plays a crucial role in penetrating tumor tissues as it targets explicitly ανβ3/ανβ5 integrins and neuropilin receptors, established to be commonly expressed in tumor cells. This dual-receptor mechanism improves tumor blood vessel permeability, allowing deeper and more efficient drug or nanoparticle delivery. This review highlights the iRGD mechanism and drug delivery systems and emphasizes future developments in iRGD-conjugated therapeutics to enhance cancer treatment efficacy while reducing side effects.