Brain tumor targeting peptides and methods

摘要

A method of diagnosing and treating a human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain tumor in a subject is disclosed. The method includes administering to the subject, an effective amount of composition having a peptide 12-20 amino acid residues in length and selected for its ability to bind preferentially to a subtype of human GBM cells identified as brain tumor initiating cells (BTICs) or highly invasive glioma cells (HIGCs). Also disclosed are a phage-display screening method for identifying such therapeutic peptides, and peptides that hind specifically to BTICs or HIGCs.