Antitumorigenic Effect of Insect-Derived Peptide Poecilocorisin-1 in Human Skin Cancer Cells through Regulation of Sp1 Transcription Factor

Scientists analyzed antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which showed antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects in insects, and some AMPs also exhibited anticancer efficacy. The insect-derived peptide poecilocorisin-1 (PCC-1) did not induce toxicity in the human epithelial cell line HaCaT, but its potential as an anticancer agent was confirmed through specific effects of antiproliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest in two melanoma cell lines, SK-MEL-28 and G361.