Peptide-Functionalized Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Cancer Therapy: Targeting Strategies, Mechanisms, and Translational Opportunities

Therapeutic peptides have emerged as promising tools in oncology due to their high specificity, favorable safety profile, and capacity to target molecular hallmarks of cancer. Their clinical translation, however, remains limited by poor stability, rapid proteolytic degradation, and inefficient biodistribution. Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) offer a compelling solution to these challenges. Owing to their biocompatibility, magnetic properties, and ability to serve as both drug carriers and imaging agents, IONPs have become a versatile platform for precision nanomedicine. The integration of peptides with IONPs has generated a new class of hybrid systems that combine the biological accuracy of peptide ligands with the multifunctionality of magnetic nanomaterials. Peptide functionalization enables selective tumor targeting and deeper tissue penetration, while the IONP core supports controlled delivery, MRI-based tracking, and activation of therapeutic mechanisms such as magnetic hyperthermia. These hybrids also influence the tumor microenvironment (TME), facilitating stromal remodeling and improved drug accessibility. Importantly, the iron-driven redox chemistry inherent to IONPs can trigger regulated cell death pathways, including ferroptosis and autophagy, inhibiting opportunities to overcome resistance in aggressive or refractory tumors. As advances in peptide engineering, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence accelerate design and optimization, peptide-IONP conjugates are poised for translational progress. Their combined targeting precision, imaging capability, and therapeutic versatility position them as promising candidates for next-generation cancer theranostics.