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Extracellular heat-shock proteins (HSPs) interact with the immune system in a very complex manner. Many such HSPs exert powerful effects on the immune response, playing both stimulatory and regulatory roles. However, the influence of the HSPs on immunity appears to be positive or negative in nature - rarely neutral. Thus, the HSPs can act as dominant antigens and can comprise key components of antitumor vaccines. They can also function as powerful immunoregulatory agents and, as such, are employed to treat inflammatory diseases or to extend the lifespan of tissue transplants. Small modifications in the cellular milieu have been shown to flip the allegiances of HSPs from immunoregulatory agents toward a potent inflammatory alignment. These mutable properties of HSPs may be related to the ability of these proteins to interact with multiple receptors often with mutually confounding properties in immune cells. Therefore, understanding the complex immune properties of HSPs may help us to harness their potential in treatment of a range of conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of cancer vaccines is to induce antitumor immunity that ultimately will reduce tumor burden in tumor environment. Several strategies involving dendritic cells- (DCs)- based vaccine incorporating different tumor-associated antigens to induce antitumor immune responses against tumors have been tested in clinical trials worldwide. Although DCs-based vaccine such as fusions of whole tumor cells and DCs has been proven to be clinically safe and is efficient to enhance antitumor immune responses for inducing effective immune response and for breaking T-cell tolerance to tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), only a limited success has occurred in clinical trials. This paper reviews tumor immune escape and current strategies employed in the field of tumor/DC fusions vaccine aimed at enhancing activation of TAAs-specific cytotoxic T cells in tumor microenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Heat shock proteins are intracellular molecular chaperones. However, extracellular heat shock proteins have recently been shown to mediate a range of powerful effects in inflammatory cells, neuronal cells and immune cells. These effects are transmitted by a number of cell surface receptors including LRP/CD91, CD40, Toll-like receptors, Scavenger receptors and c-type Lectins. However, although extracellular heat shock proteins are products of at least five different gene superfamilies, similar receptor types often trigger their effects. We have assessed heat shock protein binding to the different receptor types with particular regard to its role in tumor immunology. Heat shock protein 70 released from dying tumor cells or injected as part of a vaccine induces a remarkable range of immune effects. This molecular chaperone induces powerful pro-inflammatory signaling cascades leading to the activation of antigen presenting cells. In addition, heat shock protein 70 is able to transport antigenic peptides as cargo from the tumor cell cytoplasm across the membranes of antigen presenting cells and deliver them to major histocompatability class I molecules, a process known as “cross-presentation”. The resulting major histocompatability class I-peptide complexes are then displayed on the cell surface by antigen presenting cells, leading to activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and tumor cell killing. Understanding how heat shock protein-receptor binding orchestrates individual components of tumor immunity will permit enhanced design of molecular chaperone based immunotherapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]