Multi-Leu peptide is a peptide identified from a partial combinatorial library that is selective for the proprotein convertase PACE4, notably being 20 fold selective over furin, a closely related enzyme with similar structural characteristics. Proprotein convertases play an important role in protein precursor activation through processing at paired basic residues and PACE4 specifically has an important role in prostate cancer. Consistent with inhibition of PACE4, Multi-Leu peptide significantly reduces the proliferation of DU145 and LNCaP prostate cancer derived cell lines and induces G0/G1 cell cycle arrest.
