Development of hY1R Specific Peptide-Drug Conjugates for the Treatment of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer accounts for over 15% of cancer mortalities in women, and late-stage breast cancer is currently considered incurable. Peptide-drug conjugates were developed that specifically target the human Y1 receptor, a receptor that is overexpressed in breast cancer cells. These conjugates utilised the toxic drug camptothecin as well as radioactive lutetium-177 to treat cancer cells, with cellular assays finding that the conjugates were highly selective and effective at killing cancer cells in low concentrations, despite some issues with stability in cell media. These studies are encouraging for further development and testing in animal models.