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Delivering small- or large-sized cancer therapeutics precisely to the disease site by employing various nanocarriers is a fast-evolving area in nanomedicine. In comparison to metallic or inorganic nanoparticles, the protein- or peptide-based nanocarriers/nano-delivery systems are advantageous as they do not pose potential adverse health effects. Besides, protein- and peptide-based nanocarriers are inexpensive and easy to synthesize in lab settings. Various proteins from natural sources are being employed as nanocarriers to minimize systemic/organ toxicity and bioaccumulation. Proteins and peptides derived from natural sources are often found to be highly biocompatible and biodegradable. On the other hand, peptide-based nanoparticles (NPs), especially the short-peptide NPs, hold enormous cancer management potential. In recent years, diverse peptide structures have been achieved through self-assembly, enabling them for a wide range of biomedical applications, including targeted delivery of chemotherapeutics/therapeutics as well as the development of nanotheranostics. These short-peptide NPs are efficient in conquering several limitations associated with the conventional treatment methods by reducing adverse health effects and increasing drug accumulation at the tumor site, thereby resulting in enhanced efficacy of the cancer therapeutics. This article brings forth various protein and peptide-based nano-delivery systems and highlights their applications in cancer therapy. |
