The potential use of peptides in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common type of pancreatic cancer and is among the most aggressive and still incurable cancers. Innovative and successful therapeutic strategies are extremely needed. Many approaches are under investigation to improve PDAC therapy. The use of peptides is one of the possible delivery strategies to achieve tumor targeting. In recent decades, peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) have been studied as new targeted therapies. PDCs combine a monoclonal peptide, a cytotoxic payload, and a linker, optimizing drug specificity and reducing adverse effects. These systems, composed of cyclic or linear peptides with low molecular weight, could allow for payload loading and better penetration into tumor tissues.