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Forcing the Antitumor Effects of HSPs Using a Modulated Electric Field
Carrie Anne Minnaar1,2, Andras Szasz3
1Wits Donald Gordon Academic Hospital, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa.
Cells
|June 10, 2022
Summary
Amplitude-modulated radiofrequency (amRF) therapy enhances antitumor Heat Shock Protein (HSP) activity. This approach promotes immune responses against cancer cells, offering potential for systemic cancer treatment.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs) exhibit dual roles in cancer, acting as either pro- or antitumor agents depending on their localization and interactions.
- Understanding HSP functions is crucial for developing strategies to enhance their antitumor capabilities for improved cancer management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the manipulation of electromagnetic interactions within the tumor microenvironment to enhance antitumor HSP activity.
- To investigate the potential of amplitude-modulated radiofrequency (amRF) at 13.56 MHz to modulate HSPs for cancer therapy.
Main Methods:
- Review of preclinical investigations on the effects of amRF on HSPs in malignant cells.
- Analysis of amRF-induced changes in HSP70 expression and localization (plasma membrane and extracellular matrix).
- Examination of the formation of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and subsequent immune cell activation.
Main Results:
- amRF treatment promotes the expression of HSP70 on the plasma membrane, facilitating immunogenic cell death (ICD).
- amRF enhances the secretion of extracellular HSP70, which, along with HMGB1 and calreticulin, forms DAMPs.
- These DAMPs promote dendritic cell maturation and antigen presentation, leading to enhanced CD8+ T-cell responses.
Conclusions:
- Properly applied amRF therapy can enhance antitumor HSP activity.
- This method shows potential for inducing localized, in situ, tumor-specific immune responses that act systemically to target disseminated cancer cells and metastatic lesions.
