Heat shock proteins and cancer vaccines: developments in the past decade and chaperoning in the decade to come

Abstract

Molecular chaperone–peptide complexes extracted from tumors (heat shock protein [HSP] vaccines) have been intensively studied in the preceding two decades, proving to be safe and effective in treating a number of malignant diseases. They offer personalized therapy and target a cross-section of antigens expressed in patients’ tumors. Future advances may rely on understanding the molecular underpinnings of this approach to immunotherapy. One property common to HSP vaccines is the ability to stimulate antigen uptake by scavenger receptors on the antigen-presenting cell surface and trigger T-lymphocyte activation. HSPs can also induce signaling through Toll-Like receptors in a range of immune cells and this may mediate the effectiveness of vaccines.

Keywords::

• antigen presentation
• dendritic cell
• heat shock protein
• molecular chaperone
• T lymphocyte
• Toll-like receptor
• vaccine

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the department of Radiation Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for support and encouragement. They would also like to thank Pramod Srivastava, Michael Graner and John Subjeck for helpful discussions.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Stuart K Calderwood is supported by NIH research grants R01CA047407, R01CA094397 and R01CA119045. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.