Evidence mapPaperPMID 41588952Full record

ReviewCurrent drug targets2026

Possible Applications of Azurin, a Copper-Containing Protein, in Cancer Treatment: Prospects and Challenges.

Ekaterina E Karmanova, Ruslan G Goncharov, Dmitriy E Burmistrov, Anatoly V Chernikov, Vladimir I Novoselov, Mars G Sharapov

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In one paragraph

Review in Current drug targets, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Ekaterina E KarmanovaFederal Research Center Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Cell Biophysics RAS, Institutskaya Str. 3, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia.ORCID 0000-0001-8806-8664
Ruslan G GoncharovFederal Research Center Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Cell Biophysics RAS, Institutskaya Str. 3, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia.ORCID 0000-0001-6512-9858
Dmitriy E BurmistrovProkhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov Str. 38, Moscow, 119991, Russia.ORCID 0000-0001-8979-3833
Anatoly V ChernikovInstitute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya Str. 3, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia.ORCID 0000-0003-0901-6730
Vladimir I NovoselovFederal Research Center Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Cell Biophysics RAS, Institutskaya Str. 3, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia.ORCID 0000-0002-8485-5481
Mars G SharapovFederal Research Center Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Cell Biophysics RAS, Institutskaya Str. 3, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia.ORCID 0000-0002-5362-4269

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionConventional cancer therapies are limited by systemic toxicity, poor selectivity, and drug resistance. Bacterial proteins, such as azurin, represent a promising alternative due to their tumor selectivity, low immunogenicity, and multifunctional mechanisms. This review highlights recent progress in azurin-based anticancer strategies, including mechanisms of action, structural modifications, and integration with peptide systems, nanotechnology, and gene therapy.

methodsA search for articles using the keywords "azurin, cancer" was conducted on the Google Scholar and PubMed databases, with an emphasis on the years 2023-2024.

resultsAzurin and its peptide derivative p28 selectively target cancer cells by stabilizing p53, inducing apoptosis, and arresting the cell cycle, while also modulating key signaling pathways. Structural features of azurin enable interactions with multiple molecular targets, and p28 enhances cellular uptake and sensitizes tumors to chemotherapeutics. Advanced delivery platforms, including engineered bacteria (E. coli Nissle 1917, S. typhimurium VNP-20009), chimeric peptides, and nanocarriers, improve tumor targeting and therapeutic outcomes. Preclinical models and clinical trials demonstrate low toxicity and efficacy against various solid tumors and gliomas. DISCUSSION: Evidence supports azurin as a versatile anticancer agent with unique advantages over conventional therapies. Its compatibility with delivery innovations enhances precision and minimizes systemic toxicity. However, further optimization, large-scale clinical validation, and long-term safety studies are required.

conclusionAzurin and its derivatives provide a promising platform for anticancer therapy, offering tumor specificity, low toxicity, and synergy with multiple treatment modalities. Their integration into advanced delivery and genetic systems may significantly improve cancer treatment and recurrence prevention.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic AgentsAzurinNeoplasmsAnimalsApoptosisGenetic TherapyHumansAntineoplastic AgentsAzurinanticancer peptidesanticancer therapyazurinbacterial therapyCancercell-penetrating peptidesp28

Identifiers

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.