Abstract:Due to the increasing number of cancer patients and the decreasing effectiveness of conventional drugs on drug-resistant cancer cells, there is a growing demand for new anti-cancer drugs in the medical field. Some bioactive peptides (BAPs) have good anti-cancer activity and are known as anti-cancer peptides (ACPs). They are widely available and have potential medical application prospects. Cancer cells, due to their unique metabolic pathways, create a microenvironment different from normal tissue and develop immune escape abilities. ACPs exhibit anti-cancer activity by disrupting cancer cell membranes, regulating cancer cell growth and proliferation, and other pathways. However, due to their small molecular weight and exposed structure, ACPs are difficult to maintain stability in the complex environment of the body, and thus their effectiveness is inevitably lost, which poses certain difficulties for developing efficient products and requires a certain degree of combination or protection. The author introduces the food sources of ACPs and explains the anti-cancer activity and molecular mechanisms of ACPs. Considering the effectiveness of ACPs in directly attacking or indirectly hindering cancer cells, the author summarizes the usage and development potential of ACPs in new anti-cancer drug matrices, providing a reference for the application of food-derived ACPs in the medical field.
