Development of a Microwave-Assisted Method for Enhancing the Cellular Uptake of Arginine-Rich Peptides

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have been extensively explored as tools for the intracellular delivery of diverse molecular cargoes. Although substantial progress has been made in elucidating their uptake mechanisms and sequence-dependent functions, limitations in cellular internalization efficiency remain a major challenge, hindering their broader biomedical application. To address this issue, the present study investigated whether microwave (MW) irradiation at 2.45 GHz can enhance CPP-mediated delivery. Using confocal laser scanning microscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy, we examined the effects of MW irradiation on the cellular uptake of arginine-rich peptides. Our results suggested that MW irradiation enhanced the cellular uptake of the peptides. These findings imply that CPP-mediated delivery assisted by MW irradiation is an effective method for improving intracellular transport and may open new avenues for the development of advanced drug delivery systems.