Targeting heat shock proteins on cancer cells: Selection, characterization, and cell-penetrating properties of a peptide GRP78 ligand

A set of cyclic peptide libraries expressed on the pIX coat protein of M13 filamentous phage, which were screened against melanoma cells is prepared and utilized, using whole-cell phage panning method to discover peptides that specifically bind to and are internalized into cancer cells. This showed that cyclic peptide Pep42 is a very important tool in construction of drug conjugates, designed to selectively kill malignant cancer cells.