Tumor-associated cell surface receptors recognized by PEP-NP™ peptides

Tumor-associated cell surface receptors recognized by PEP-NP™ peptides are a class of membrane-bound proteins that serve as specific binding sites for the PEP-NP™ (Peptide-Engineered Protein Nanoparticle) delivery platform (Aanastra, 2025). Developed by Aanastra Inc., this technology utilizes short, amphipathic peptides functionalized with targeting domains to selectively bind receptors overexpressed on cancer cells or specific immune populations (Divincell, 2024). A primary example is the CD3 receptor, which is targeted by the PEP-CAR™ program to enable in vivo reprogramming of T cells for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy (AACR, 2025). Other potential targets include receptors like IL-13Rα2 and various integrins, which facilitate the delivery of therapeutic RNA payloads, such as mRNA for p53 tumor suppressor restoration (NIH, 2014; Aanastra, 2025). The interaction between the PEP-NP™ peptides and these receptors triggers a unique non-endosomal entry mechanism, allowing the cargo to bypass lysosomal degradation and enter the cytoplasm directly (Aanastra, 2025). This targeted approach is designed to improve therapeutic efficacy while minimizing off-target toxicities and avoiding the liver entrapment common to lipid-based delivery systems (Aanastra, 2025). By custom-selecting targeting peptides using AI and experimental screening, the platform can be adapted to a wide range of tumor-associated antigens (Aanastra, 2025). The specificity of these interactions is critical for the success of systemic RNA therapies in treating solid tumors and hematological malignancies (AACR, 2025).

Other names

PEP-NP targeted receptorsTumor-specific surface antigensPeptide-Engineered Protein Nanoparticle targets

Receptor-mediated targeting followed by non-endosomal membrane translocation for intracellular delivery of nucleic acid payloads