Peptide-based strategies for glioblastoma therapy: From small molecular drugs to delivery vehicles

Glioblastoma (GBM) remains one of the most invasive and treatment-resistant brain tumors. Efficient GBM treatment represents a significant challenge in clinical oncology, thereby underscoring the demand on novel therapeutic strategies. Peptide-based therapeutics have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional drugs, due to their precise targeting capabilities, broad bioactivities, and the prospective to overcome the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This review outlined the diverse functions of peptides in GBM treatment, ranging from targeting agents, therapeutic drugs to delivery vehicles, based on introduction of the applications of peptides towards general cancer therapy. We highlighted the advantages and potential of peptide-based therapeutics from the perspective of various targeted delivering and therapeutic strategies for GBM. While challenges related to peptide stability and bioavailability are critical for clinical usage, peptide-based therapies serving as innovative solutions hold the great potential to enhance GBM treatment efficacy and offer novel avenues for future therapeutic development.