PNC-27
Also known as: PNC-27
PNC-27 is an experimental anticancer peptide designed to selectively destroy cancer cells by disrupting their membranes while sparing normal cells. It is strictly a laboratory research compound with no approved human use.
Last updated
Mechanism of Action
PNC-27 fuses a p53-derived domain (residues that interact with HDM-2/MDM-2) to a membrane-penetrating leader sequence. In cancer cells, HDM-2 is aberrantly expressed at the plasma membrane, and PNC-27 binds it there to form transmembrane pore-like structures that cause selective membrane lysis and necrosis. Because normal cells lack membrane-bound HDM-2, they are reported to be spared in vitro. The mechanism is membrane-targeted and largely independent of the classical p53 transcriptional pathway, and remains confined to cell-culture and animal studies.
- Half-life
- Not well characterized; expected short for a linear peptide
- Administration Routes
- subcutaneous, intramuscular
- Research Status
- Preclinical
Reported Benefits
- Studied for selective cytotoxicity toward cancer cell lines in vitro
- Reported sparing of normal cells in laboratory models
- Investigated as a membrane-targeting anticancer approach
- Used as a research tool to probe HDM-2 membrane biology
Potential Side Effects
- No established human safety profile
- Potential off-target membrane toxicity
- Immunogenicity and injection-site reactions possible
- Unknown systemic effects in vivo
Common Dosing
For laboratory research use only and not medical advice: in vitro and rodent studies use micromolar concentrations or microgram-range dosing; there is no validated or recommended human dose.
The dosing information above is aggregated from research literature and anecdotal community reports for educational purposes only. It is not a recommendation, prescription, or medical advice. Peptides are sold as research chemicals only and are not intended for human use.
Contraindications
- Any human therapeutic use outside controlled research
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Known peptide hypersensitivity
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Anticancer peptide PNC-27 adopts an HDM-2-binding conformation and kills cancer cells by binding to HDM-2 in their membranes
2010
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Peptides from the amino terminal mdm-2-binding domain of p53, designed from conformational analysis, are selectively cytotoxic to transformed cells
2001
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Targeting Membrane HDM-2 by PNC-27 Induces Necrosis in Leukemia Cells But Not in Normal Hematopoietic Cells
2020
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PNC-27, a Chimeric p53-Penetratin Peptide Binds to HDM-2 in a p53 Peptide-like Structure, Induces Selective Membrane-Pore Formation and Leads to Cancer Cell Lysis
2022
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HDM-2-Targeting Peptide PNC-27 Kills Cervical Cancer Cells but not Normal Cervical Cells.
2025