Peptide-drug conjugates: Emerging strategies in glioma therapy

Peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) represent a promising class of targeted therapeutic agents that integrate tumor-targeting peptides, cleavable linkers, and cytotoxic drugs into a single molecular framework. In glioma treatment, PDCs offer unique advantages in enhancing delivery specificity, improving blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration, and minimizing off-target toxicity. Despite a growing body of research in the field of PDCs, there is still a lack of comprehensive reviews focusing specifically on their application in glioma treatment, particularly in terms of optimizing core components such as design principles, linker chemistry, and clinical advancements. Therefore, this review aims to fill this gap, providing new perspectives and theoretical foundations for the rational design and clinical application of PDC-based therapeutics in glioma.