Cancers
Identification of Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor (uPAR)-Binding Peptides Using Phage Display: Strategy and Downstream Validation
By Sloth AB, Dawoodi IM, Treiberg T and 8 others.
Abstract
Background
Peptides that selectively bind to cancer-associated proteins are attractive candidates for molecular imaging and targeted therapeutic applications. The urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) represents a promising molecular target as it is highly expressed in several cancers and has been linked to cancer aggressiveness, invasion, and metastasis. This study applied an NGS-informed biopanning strategy against uPAR, combined with multi-assay downstream validation, to identify and prioritize candidate peptides.
Methods
An optimized biopanning protocol incorporating additional selection controls was combined with next-generation sequencing to identify candidate uPAR-binding peptides from a phage display library. Selected peptides were evaluated using complementary in vitro assays, including flow cytometry and a quantitative plate assay.