Peptide-Drug Conjugates: Targeted Cancer Delivery Including New PROTAC-Based Approaches | Research

The takeaway

PDCs use tumor-homing peptides to deliver cytotoxic payloads directly to cancer cells, with emerging PROTAC-PDCs adding targeted protein degradation as a novel mechanism.

PROTAC-PDC fusion
Combining tumor-homing peptides with targeted protein degradation technology represents a new frontier in precision oncology

What the researchers found

PDCs enable targeted delivery of cytotoxic payloads via tumor-homing peptides, with PROTAC-based PDCs emerging as a novel approach combining targeted delivery with targeted protein degradation.

Why it matters

PDCs offer a simpler, cheaper alternative to antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for targeted cancer therapy, and the addition of PROTAC technology could enable unprecedented precision in cancer treatment.

How the study worked

Narrative review of PDC design principles, components (tumor-homing peptides, linkers, payloads), recent anticancer applications, and emerging PROTAC-PDC technology.

What this study cannot tell us

Most PDCs are in preclinical development. In vivo stability and pharmacokinetics remain challenging. Clinical data is limited. Manufacturing scale-up for complex conjugates is non-trivial.

How to read the evidence

Comprehensive review of a rapidly evolving field. Covers established principles and emerging technologies with primarily preclinical evidence.

When this study was published

Published in 2025.

The bigger picture

PDCs represent a convergence of peptide science, chemical biology, and oncology that could democratize targeted cancer therapy by making it simpler and more affordable than antibody-based approaches.

Questions still open

Which PDC design features best predict clinical success?
Can PROTAC-PDCs overcome resistance mechanisms that limit conventional PDCs?
How do PDCs compare to ADCs in head-to-head studies?

Common questions

What is a peptide-drug conjugate?

A PDC attaches a cancer-killing drug to a small peptide that can find and bind to cancer cells. The peptide acts like a GPS, guiding the drug directly to the tumor and away from healthy tissue.

How is this different from antibody-drug conjugates?

Both target drugs to tumors, but PDCs use smaller, simpler peptides instead of large antibodies. This makes them easier and cheaper to manufacture while still delivering drugs precisely to cancer cells.

Read the original research

Recent advances in peptide-drug conjugates as anticancer agents.

European journal of medicinal chemistry, 304, 118482

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Feng, Yanyan; Li, Tong; Li, Shijia; Liu, Zhouyan; Tang, Ziwei; Chen, Cheng; Zhou, Chen; Lu, Tulin; Chen, Jichao. (2026). Recent advances in peptide-drug conjugates as anticancer agents.. European journal of medicinal chemistry, 304, 118482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2025.118482