Affiliations 

  • 1 Student Research Committee, Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  • 2 Students' Scientific Research Center, Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  • 3 Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  • 4 UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 5 Department of Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  • 6 Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Orta Mahalle, Üniversite Caddesi No. 27, Orhanlı, Tuzla, 34956 Istanbul, Turkey; Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM), Tuzla, 34956 Istanbul, Turkey
  • 7 Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM), Tuzla, 34956 Istanbul, Turkey
  • 8 Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Urogenital Stem Cell Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: hghanbarian@sbmu.ac.ir
  • 9 Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Pharmacol Res, 2021 09;171:105777.
PMID: 34298112 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105777

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common and deadliest cancer in women worldwide. Although notable advances have been achieved in the treatment of breast cancer, the overall survival rate of metastatic breast cancer patients is still considerably low due to the development of resistance to breast cancer chemotherapeutic agents and the non-optimal specificity of the current generation of cancer medications. Hence, there is a growing interest in the search for alternative therapeutics with novel anticancer mechanisms. Recently, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have gained much attention due to their cost-effectiveness, high specificity of action, and robust efficacy. However, there are no clinical data available about their efficacy. This warrants the increasing need for clinical trials to be conducted to assess the efficacy of this new class of drugs. Here, we will focus on the recent progress in the use of AMPs for breast cancer therapy and will highlight their modes of action. Finally, we will discuss the combination of AMP-based therapeutics with other breast cancer therapy strategies, including nanotherapy and chemotherapy, which may provide a potential avenue for overcoming drug resistance.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.