Pep5, a Fragment of Cyclin D2, Shows Antiparasitic Effects in Different Stages of the Life Cycle and Blocks Parasite Infectivity.

Pep5 (WELVVLGKL) is a fragment of cyclin D2 that exhibits a 2-fold increase in the S phase of the HeLa cell cycle. When covalently bound to a cell-penetrating peptide (Pep5-cpp), the nonapeptide induces cell death in several tumor cells, including breast cancer and melanoma cells. Additionally, Pep5-cpp reduces the tumor volume of rat glioblastoma.