Peptide Therapy: Potential and Challenges for Cancer Patients
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Cancer patients facing treatment decisions often hope for options beyond surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapies that could reduce recurrence risk, improve quality of life, and support immune function. Peptide therapy has emerged as an adjunctive approach receiving significant attention in recent international research and clinical studies. This article provides a systematic overview of peptide therapy from a cancer patient’s perspective, covering its mechanisms of action, scientific evidence, practical benefits, potential risks, and considerations for adoption in Hong Kong, aiming to offer clear and reliable information for patients and caregivers exploring treatment options.
What Is Peptide Therapy? Mechanisms and Types
Peptides are small molecules composed of short chains of amino acids (typically shorter than proteins). They may occur naturally in the body or be synthesized/modified. In cancer therapy, peptides play various roles, including:
Anticancer Peptides (ACPs)
These peptides can exert cytotoxic effects on cancer cells, induce apoptosis, inhibit proliferation, growth, or metastasis, and some can suppress angiogenesis to reduce tumor blood supply (Sharma et al., 2024).Peptide-Based Cancer Vaccines
Peptide vaccines use tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) or tumor-specific antigens (TSAs) to stimulate T-cell immune responses via antigen-presenting cells (APCs), enabling the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells expressing these antigens (Lei et al., 2025).Peptide-Drug Conjugates & Nanocarriers
Peptides can be conjugated to drugs or encapsulated in nanoparticles, liposomes, or other carriers to improve drug selectivity, delivery efficiency, and bio-stability, reducing off-target toxicity (Naeimi et al., 2022).Short Self-Assembling Peptides
These peptides can form self-assembled structures serving as carriers, vaccine platforms, adjuvants, or imaging aids, enhancing immune responses or improving the precision of drug/information delivery (Bojarska et al., 2024).Tumor Microenvironment & Immune Checkpoint Modulation
Some peptides act on the tumor microenvironment (TME), e.g., converting tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) from M2 (pro-tumor) to M1 (anti-tumor), or blocking PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoints, allowing the immune system to attack cancer cells more effectively (Zhang et al., 2023).
Practical Benefits of Peptide Therapy for Cancer Patients
Based on literature and clinical studies, peptide therapy may offer the following advantages:
Reduce Side Effects and Improve Quality of Life
Traditional chemo/radiotherapy often causes immunosuppression, hair loss, fatigue, nausea, and organ toxicity. Anticancer peptides typically spare normal cells and exhibit lower toxicity, reducing the burden on patients and mitigating quality-of-life decline (Sharma et al., 2024). Some short peptides in animal studies effectively killed cancer cells with minimal toxicity to normal cells.
Support or Restore Immune Surveillance
Peptide vaccines or antigen-stimulated strategies activate T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and other immune cells, creating a “guardian system” that continues monitoring residual cancer cells after primary treatments like surgery or chemotherapy, potentially reducing recurrence or micrometastasis risk (Lei et al., 2025).
Control Minimal Residual Disease (MRD)
After chemo or surgery, residual tumor cells may remain undetectable by imaging. Peptide therapy can target these residual cells, with evidence from preclinical and early clinical studies showing reduced tumor markers or delayed recurrence, potentially extending disease-free intervals.
Enhance Options for Refractory or Drug-Resistant Cancers
Some cancers resist drugs due to molecular mutations or heterogeneity. Anticancer peptides can penetrate cell membranes, block signaling pathways, and induce apoptosis, offering new treatment directions for these challenging cancer types (Sharma et al., 2024; Naeimi et al., 2022).
Synergize with Other Therapies
Peptide therapy can be combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors, targeted drugs, or chemotherapy. Studies suggest such combinations can overcome immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment, allowing T cells to infiltrate tumors effectively (Yu et al., 2025).
Psychological Support and Hope
Knowing that scientifically-supported, emerging therapies exist provides emotional reassurance. Patients with more treatment options tend to show improved adherence and overall mental health. While peptides cannot guarantee a cure, their potential offers patients greater agency in treatment decisions.
Scientific Evidence and Clinical Trial Status
While research and early clinical trials support peptide therapy, evidence remains incomplete and requires careful interpretation.
Preclinical Studies (Cell and Animal Models): Many anticancer peptides show cytotoxicity, induce apoptosis, inhibit angiogenesis, and reduce tumor growth/metastasis in vitro and in vivo (Sharma et al., 2024; Naeimi et al., 2022; Ghadiri et al., 2024).
Peptide Vaccines and Early-Phase Trials: Certain short peptide vaccines have induced T-cell responses, reduced tumor markers, or improved immune parameters in Phase I/II trials targeting specific tumor antigens (Lei et al., 2025).
Clinical Limitations: Some peptide vaccines have failed to significantly improve overall survival in large trials or showed variable efficacy due to immune evasion or tumor heterogeneity, highlighting their role as adjunctive rather than standalone therapies (Sharma et al., 2024; CancerCI review).
Stability, Bioavailability, and Administration: Peptides are often degraded by proteases, cleared rapidly in vivo, or face challenges reaching tumor sites. Strategies to enhance stability include D-peptides, cyclic peptides, or delivery via carriers like liposomes and nanoparticles (Naeimi et al., 2022; Yu et al., 2025).
Practical Considerations for Peptide Therapy in Hong Kong
Cancer patients and caregivers should evaluate several key factors before considering peptide therapy:
Regulatory Oversight
Hong Kong’s public hospitals and the Hospital Authority enforce strict regulations. Peptide therapies require clinical trial data and safety evidence for public approval. Private clinics offering such therapies should be licensed, have qualified physicians, and provide robust monitoring of side effects.
Availability and Institutional Experience
Peptide therapy is not yet widely offered in Hong Kong. Patients should verify whether clinics have experienced oncologists or immunotherapy specialists and can provide personalized designs (antigen testing, HLA typing, immune response monitoring).
Cost and Affordability
Peptide vaccines, conjugates, and nanocarriers are expensive and typically self-funded in Hong Kong. Patients should consider treatment costs, monitoring, follow-ups, potential side effect management, and insurance/charity support.
Administration and Treatment Stage
Peptides can be delivered subcutaneously, intravenously, as vaccines, or via carriers. The optimal timing in treatment—post-surgery, during chemotherapy, after radiotherapy, or in recovery—should be discussed with specialists.
Patient Health and Immune Status
Severely weakened patients or those with major comorbidities may have reduced peptide therapy efficacy or heightened immune response risks. Careful assessment of risks versus benefits is essential.
Scientific Data and Transparency
Patients should review international literature, evidence for the same cancer type and population (e.g., East Asian), and access transparent information on efficacy, survival, recurrence, and side effects.
Comparison with Other Therapies
While peptide therapy holds promise, it is typically used as an adjunct or companion rather than a replacement in cancer treatment combinations. The following comparison with other treatment methods helps patients understand its role.
| Criteria | Peptide Therapy | Targeted Therapy / Antibodies / Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors | Chemotherapy / Radiotherapy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selectivity & Specificity | High (antigen-matched / HLA type / specifically designed) | High (response depends on target expression level) | Lower; affects normal cells more |
| Side Effects & Toxicity | Low; common effects may include injection site reactions or mild immune responses | Varies by drug; some may have severe side effects | High toxicity; significant damage to rapidly dividing cells |
| Clinical Evidence Maturity | Mostly early- to mid-stage trials; some preclinical evidence is strong | Some drugs supported by large randomized trials | Longest history; standard treatment protocols well established |
| Cost & Accessibility | High private-market cost; limited public coverage | Expensive; some drugs covered by government or insurance | Typically available in public hospitals; patient costs relatively manageable |
| Applicability | Effective for certain cancer types with good antigen expression; potential for refractory or recurrent tumors | Broad, but may face resistance and tumor heterogeneity challenges | Applicable to almost all cancer types, limited by patient tolerance |
Future Prospects in Hong Kong
Local Clinical Trials and Data: Collaboration between public hospitals, medical schools, and research institutions could generate evidence tailored to East Asian patients.
Government and Hospital Authority Support: Innovative therapies passing rigorous trials could be partially subsidized or included in public systems.
Private Clinics Enhancing Professionalism and Transparency: Clinics should disclose therapy composition, antigens, administration, side effect monitoring, and cost structures.
Technological Improvements: Enhancing stability (cyclic or D-peptides, chemical modifications) and delivery (nanoparticles, liposomes, exosomes) can improve tumor penetration and reduce immune suppression effects.
Education and Patient Information Platforms: Clear, accessible resources in Chinese could improve patient decision-making and treatment adherence.
Conclusion
Peptide therapy is a promising adjunctive approach in cancer care. Its potential benefits for patients include:
Reducing side effects of conventional therapies
Maintaining or restoring immune surveillance
Controlling minimal residual disease and lowering recurrence/metastasis risk
Offering new strategies for refractory cancers
Enhancing psychological well-being
Potential synergistic effects with other therapies
Limitations include incomplete scientific and clinical data, stability and bioavailability challenges, high cost, and regulatory/administrative factors. For Hong Kong patients, adopting peptide therapy requires careful consultation with physicians regarding cancer type, physical condition, antigen expression, clinic capability, financial capacity, and availability of local or international research support.
The most appropriate positioning is as an adjunct or supportive therapy rather than a replacement for mainstream treatments. Patients should maintain rational expectations, prioritize safety and scientific evidence, and monitor efficacy and side effects long-term.
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References
- Bojarska, J., et al. (2024). Short Peptides as Powerful Arsenal for Smart Fighting Cancer. Cancers, 16(19), 3254. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16193254 MDPI
- Ghadiri, N., et al. (2024). Bioactive peptides: an alternative therapeutic approach for immunomodulation in cancer. Frontiers in Immunology, 15, Article 1310443. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1310443 Frontiers
- Lei, Y., et al. (2025). Peptides as Versatile Regulators in Cancer Immunotherapy. Frontiers in Immunology, 16, Article 11768547. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11768547/ PMC
- Liu, B., Zhou, H., Tan, L., Siu, K. T. H., et al. (2024). Exploring treatment options in cancer: tumor treatment strategies including peptide drugs. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, 9(175). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-024-01856-7 Nature
- Naeimi, R., et al. (2022). Investigating the role of peptides in effective therapies against cancer: A review. Cancer Cell International, 22, Article 553. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12935-022-02553-7 BioMed Central
- Sharma, A., et al. (2024). Anticancer peptides as novel immunomodulatory agents: prospects and challenges. Exploratory Targeted Antitumor Therapy, 5, 1074-1099. https://doi.org/10.37349/etat.2024.00264 Exploration Publishing
- Yu, Y., Lyu, J., Muhadaisi, Y., Shi, C., Wang, D. (2025). Peptide-based vesicles for cancer immunotherapy: design, construction and applications. Frontiers in Immunology, 16, Article 1609162. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1609162 Frontiers
- Zhang, Y., et al. (2023). Natural peptides for immunological regulation in cancer: modulating immune cells and checkpoints for anticancer efficacy. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 171, Article 113749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2023.113749 ScienceDirect