GE11 peptide as an active targeting agent in antitumor therapy: A minireview

lot of solid tumors are characterized by uncontrolled signal transduction triggered by
receptors related to cellular growth. The targeting of these cell receptors with antitumor drugs is
essential to improve chemotherapy efficacy. This can be achieved by conjugation of an active targeting
agent to the polymer portion of a colloidal drug delivery system loaded with an antitumor drug.
The goal of this minireview is to report and discuss some recent results in epidermal growth factor
receptor targeting by the GE11 peptide combined with colloidal drug delivery systems as smart
carriers for antitumor drugs. The minireview chapters will focus on explaining and discussing:
(i) Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) structures and functions; (ii) GE11 structure and biologic
activity; (iii) examples of GE11 conjugation and GE11-conjugated drug delivery systems. The rationale
is to contribute in gathering information on the topic of active targeting to tumors. A case study
is introduced, involving research on tumor cell targeting by the GE11 peptide combined with
polymer nanoparticles.