BR2, a Buforin Derived Cancer Specific Cell Penetrating Peptide for Targeted Delivering of Toxic Agents: a Review Article

Due to the importance of cancer as a major public health problem and increasing attention to its targeted treatment, investigation of novel options seems to be rational in order to diminish the side effects of routine existing therapeutic approaches, mainly caused by damage of the body’s normal cells as well as cancerous cells. Peptides are attractive options for the targeted delivery of various types of anti-cancer agents because of their small size, a simpler structure, and better tissue distribution and less immunogenicity in comparison to the antibodies, as well as lower accumulation in the vital organs and finally, more stability when compared to aptamers. In this paper, we surveyed a category of peptides with anti-microbial and anti-cancer effects due to their penetration ability to various target cells. Buforin is a well-known anti-microbial peptide with natural origin (obtained by pepsin-digesting of Histone H2A) which was used for the translocation of GFP to the cancer cells, for the first time. Since then, various natural or synthetic forms were introduced and used for the production of new bio-molecule discussed in the current review article. However, there is no evidence about clinical data of these designed Buforin-derivied bio-conjugates and it is a necessary to perform suitable pre-clinical and clinical studies to make a more accurate judgment about the use of these peptides as appropriate tools in the field of targeted cancer therapy.