On the selectivity and efficacy of defense peptides with respect to cancer cells

Abstract

Here, we review potential determinants of the anticancer efficacy of innate immune peptides
(ACPs) for cancer cells. These determinants include membrane-based factors, such as receptors,
phosphatidylserine, sialic acid residues, and sulfated glycans, and peptide-based factors, such as residue
composition, sequence length, net charge, hydrophobic arc size, hydrophobicity, and amphiphilicity.
Each of these factors may contribute to the anticancer action of ACPs, but no single factor(s) makes an
overriding contribution to their overall selectivity and toxicity. Differences between the anticancer
actions of ACPs seem to relate to different levels of interplay between these peptide and membranebased
factors.