Disulfide-rich peptides as next-generation radiopharmaceuticals

Peptides are emerging as a preferred targeting agent for many radiopharmaceutical targets due to several favourable characteristics, including high tissue penetration and target specificity. Among them, disulfide-rich peptides stand out for their exceptional intrinsic stability, making them particularly well-suited for further development in this field – yet they remain underexplored. This review highlights examples where disulfide-rich peptides have been used in radiopharmaceuticals for imaging and therapy. We compare them to recently approved peptide radiopharmaceuticals to provide context and support for the broader use of disulfide-rich peptides for targeted delivery of radiation. Future directions are also discussed, including how emerging technologies can be applied to the discovery of new disulfide-rich peptide radiopharmaceuticals.