abstract

The ability to precisely deliver medications to tumors is a huge step forward in the fight against cancer. So, it's ideal to find new ligands that target tumors or pharmacological nanocarriers. Using phage display, we discovered SP90, a novel targeting peptide that identifies tumor tissues from breast cancer patients and attaches selectively to breast cancer cells. The conjugation of SP90 with liposomes allows for effective drug transport into cancer cells by endocytosis, as shown by confocal and electron imaging. Additionally, SP90-conjugated quantum dots have tumor-targeting capabilities, as shown by in vivo fluorescence imaging. By boosting the drug's accumulation in tumors selectively, SP90-conjugated liposomal doxorubicin improved the chemotherapeutic drug's therapeutic index in tumor xenograft and orthotopic models. Our research leads us to believe that SP90, a targeted peptide, may greatly enhance the therapeutic advantages of chemotherapy for breast cancer patients and their doctors.