Cell Penetrating Peptides: Classification, Mechanisms, Methods of Study, and Applications

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) encompass a class of peptides that possess the remarkable ability to cross cell membranes and deliver various types of cargoes, including drugs, nucleic acids, and proteins, into cells. For this reason, CPPs are largely investigated in drug delivery applications in the context of many diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and genetic disorders. While sharing this functionality and some common structural features, such as a high content of positively charged amino acids, CPPs represent an extremely diverse group of elements, which can differentiate under many aspects. In this review, we summarize the most common characteristics of CPPs, introduce their main distinctive features, mechanistic aspects that drive their function, and outline the most widely used techniques for their structural and functional studies. We highlight current gaps and future perspectives in this field, which have the potential to significantly impact the future field of drug delivery and therapeutics.

Automated summary

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are a class of peptides with the remarkable ability to cross cell membranes and deliver various cargoes into cells. They are extensively investigated for drug delivery in diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and genetic disorders. Despite sharing common structural features, CPPs are a highly diverse group of elements. This review summarizes their characteristics, distinctive features, mechanisms, and commonly used techniques for studying their structure and function, highlighting current gaps and future perspectives in the field of drug delivery and therapeutics.