TY - JOUR AB - Cancer is the most common cause of human death worldwide. Conventional anticancer therapies, including chemotherapy and radiation, are associated with severe side effects and toxicities as well as low specificity. Peptides are rapidly being developed as potential anticancer agents that specifically target cancer cells and are less toxic to normal tissues, thus making them a better alternative for the prevention and management of cancer. Recent research has focused on anticancer peptides from natural animal sources, such as terrestrial mammals, marine animals, amphibians, and animal venoms. However, the mode of action by which bioactive peptides inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells remains unclear. In this review, we present the animal sources from which bioactive peptides with anticancer activity are derived and discuss multiple proposed mechanisms by which these peptides exert cytotoxic effects against cancer cells. AD - Clinical Medicine Research Center of the Affiliated Hospital, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Huimin, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010050, P.R. China College of Basic Medicine of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Huimin, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010050, P.R. China AU - Wang,Linghong AU - Dong,Chao AU - Li,Xian AU - Han,Wenyan AU - Su,Xiulan DA - 2017/08/01 DO - 10.3892/or.2017.5778 EP - 651 IS - 2 JO - Oncol Rep KW - bioactive peptides anticancer activity animal sources PY - 2017 SN - 1021-335X 1791-2431 SP - 637 ST - Anticancer potential of bioactive peptides from animal sources (Review) T2 - Oncology Reports TI - Anticancer potential of bioactive peptides from animal sources (Review) UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2017.5778 VL - 38 ER -