Review
Heat-shock proteins in infection-mediated inflammation-induced tumorigenesis
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* Corresponding author: Zihai Li zli@up.uchc.edu
1 University of Connecticut, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
2 Center for Immunotherapy of Cancer and Infectious Diseases, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
Journal of Hematology & Oncology 2009, 2:5 doi:10.1186/1756-8722-2-5
Published: 30 January 2009Abstract
Inflammation is a necessary albeit insufficient component of tumorigenesis in some cancers. Infectious agents directly implicated in tumorigenesis have been shown to induce inflammation. This process involves both the innate and adaptive components of the immune system which contribute to tumor angiogenesis, tumor tolerance and metastatic properties of neoplasms. Recently, heat-shock proteins have been identified as mediators of this inflammatory process and thus may provide a link between infection-mediated inflammation and subsequent cancer development. In this review, the role of heat-shock proteins in infection-induced inflammation and carcinogenesis will be discussed.