Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences
Abstract
Leukemia is a malignant disorder that affects the bone marrow and blood. It is frequently diagnosed in adults, with a higher incidence in males than females. Globally, it ranks as the 15th most widespread cancer and is the 11th leading cause of cancer-related fatalities. The intensity and severity of treatment have increased, leading to a rise in relapse rates, toxicity, and adverse health effects. Therefore, there is a critical need for new treatments. The antileukemic properties of natural compounds have been extensively studied. Aquatic organisms are a rich source of potential medicinal compounds. Anticancer peptides offer an ideal treatment approach due to their anticancer effects and reduced toxicity to normal cells. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the diverse mechanisms through which marine-derived peptides exert their physiological effects, including modulation of cell viability, induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, antimitotic and antimetastatic activities, immunostimulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress. Additionally, these peptides target alterations in lipid composition and microtubule dynamics within cancer cell membranes. Notably, their efficacy has been proven in multidrug-resistant (MDR) leukemic cell lines, with evidence of synergistic effects when combined with conventional antileukemic therapies. Collectively, these findings support the potential of marine peptides as promising candidates for the development of novel antileukemic agents.
Author ORCID Identifier
SALMAN AHMED: 0000-0003-2033-0181
WAQAS ALAM: 0000-0002-2688-7039
KHALAF ALSHARIF: 0000-0002-8156-2069
MICHAEL ASCHNER: 0000-0002-2619-1656
ESRA KÜPELİ AKKOL: 0000-0002-5829-7869
MAMDOUH ALLAHYANI: 0000-0001-7929-7748
HAYAA ALHUTHALI: 0000-0001-5999-081X
LUCİANO SASO: 0000-0003-4530-8706
ESRA GİZEM TÜRKCANOĞLU: 0000-0001-7706-9549
HAROON KHAN: 0000-0002-1736-4404
DOI
10.55730/1300-0144.6061
Keywords
Anticancer, clinical status, marine peptides, MDR cancer, mechanistic insights, mitochondrial dysfunction
First Page
1063
Last Page
1076
Publisher
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK)
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
AHMED, S, ALAM, W, ALSHARIF, K, ASCHNER, M, KÜPELİ AKKOL, E, ALLAHYANI, M, ALHUTHALI, H, SASO, L, TÜRKCANOĞLU, E, & KHAN, H (2025). Unveiling the potential of marine peptides in leukemia: mechanistic insights and future horizon in peptide research. Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences 55 (5): 1063-1076. https://doi.org/10.55730/1300-0144.6061