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Abstract
One of the main characteristics of cancer tissues is poor development of neovascularization that results in a limited blood circulation. Because of this phenomenon, it is harder for cancer tissues to diffuse their elevated heat into other parts of the body. The scientific principle of radiofrequency hyperthermia relies on this quality of cancer tissues which with higher temperature becomes more apparent. Despite the obvious necessity to selectively heat the cancer tissue for radiofrequency hyperthermia, a proper thermosensitizer has not been developed until now. Here, we show that transferrin containing ferric ion could be an ideal thermosensitizer for the increased efficiency of radiofrequency hyperthermia. In our result, the ferric ion-enriched cancer tissues dramatically react with 13.56 MHz radiofrequency wave to cause cancer-selective dielectric temperature increment. The overall anticancer efficacy of a 13.56 MHz radiofrequency hyperthermia using transferrin as a thermosensitizer was much higher than the oncotherapeutic efficacy of paclitaxel, successfully eradicating cancer in a tumor-xenografted mouse experiment.

Author information

Chung HJ1, Lee HK2, Kwon KB3, Kim HJ4, Hong ST5.
1
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Institute for Medical Science, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Chonbuk, 54907, South Korea.
2
Deparment of Radiation oncology, Presbyterian Medical Center, Seonam University Medical School, Jeonju, Chonbuk, 54987, South Korea.
3
School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
4
JINIS BDRD institute, JINIS Biopharmaceuticals Co., 913 Gwahak-Ro, Bongdong, Wanju, Chonbuk, 55321, South Korea.
5
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Institute for Medical Science, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Chonbuk, 54907, South Korea. seonghong@chonbuk.ac.kr.