Cationic anticancer peptides, which can induce tumor cell immunogenic death and further promote systemic tumor-specific immune responses, have offered a promising solution to relieve the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. However, peptide drugs are easily degraded and lack of targeting ability when administered systemically, leading to limitations in their applications. Herein, we report a pH and thermal dual-sensitive bovine lactoferricin-loaded (one of the most widely studied cationic anticancer peptides) nanoparticles, which simultaneously exhibited antitumor and immune cell activated effects when applied with microwave thermotherapy, an auxiliary method of immunotherapy. The bovine lactoferricin could be delivered to the tumor site by nanoparticles, be immediately released from nanoparticles in the acidic environment of lysosomes and the thermal condition caused by microwave radiation, and ultimately induce tumor apoptosis with the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). It is worth noting that the strategy of bovine lactoferricin-loaded nanoparticles intravenous injection combined with local microwave thermotherapy not only showed excellent efficacy in relieving tumor growth but also resulted in strong antitumor immunities, which was due to the released bovine lactoferricin under stimulating conditions, and the pool of tumor-associated antigens generated by tumor destruction. In conclusion, this work presents a strategy for tumor treatment based on dual-sensitive bovine lactoferricin-loaded nanoparticles combined with microwave thermotherapy, which may provide a solution for cationic anticancer peptides delivery and improving antitumor immune responses.
Keywords: Cationic anticancer peptides; controlled release; drug delivery; dual-sensitive; immunotherapy; microwave thermotherapy.