Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Construction of Cyclic Cell-Penetrating Peptides for Enhanced Penetration of Biological Barriers
Published on: September 19, 2022
Cell-penetrating peptides as delivery vehicles for biology and medicine
Kelly M Stewart1, Kristin L Horton, Shana O Kelley
1Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Abstract:
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have found numerous applications in biology and medicine since the first synthetic cell-permeable sequence was identified two decades ago. Numerous types of drugs have been transported into cells using CPPs, including small-molecule pharmaceuticals, therapeutic proteins, and antisense oligonucleotides. Improved agents for medical imaging have been generated by conjugation with CPPs, with the appended peptides promoting cellular uptake and in some cases, cell-type specificity. Organelle-specific CPPs have also been generated, providing a means to target specific subcellular sites. This review highlights achievements in this area and illustrates the numerous examples where peptide chemistry was exploited as a means to provide new tools for biology and medicine.
Related Concept Videos
Site-Targeted Drug Delivery Systems: Polymeric Carriers
Cellular Membranes and Drug Transport
Phospholipids arrange themselves into a bilayer, with hydrophilic heads oriented outward and hydrophobic tails facing inward.
Carrier-Mediated Transport
Active transport involves two types of membrane-spanning transporters: uptake and efflux. Uptake transporters are expressed in the small...
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Site-Targeted
Mechanisms of Drug Absorption: Paracellular, Transcellular, and Vesicular Transport
However, most drugs use the transcellular route, traversing directly through the cell membranes via two mechanisms: passive and active transport. Passive...
Bioavailability Enhancement: Drug Permeability Enhancement

