Hyperthermia-induced Cell Death

- From Apoptosis to New Stage on Cell Death -

Abstract

Hyperthermia has been shown to have promising antitumor effects for various types of malignant tumors. It is one of the most potent adjuvant cancer therapy when combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The range of hyperthermia temperature (40-45 ℃) induces cell killing depending on the temperature and the period of treatment. Although the kinetics of cell inactivation by heat using clonogenic assay have been well studied, the molecular mechanism of heat-induced cell death is still unclear. Till now only two distinct forms of cell death, apoptosis and necrosis, induced by hyperthermia can be recognized morphologically. However, in the current classification on cell death twelve types of cell death have been described. The objective of this review is to overview heat-induced cell death based on the recent classification, summarize each of cell death type, evaluate clinical significance, and discuss future directions of the cell death research.