Cellular Responses in Signal Transduction Pathways Induced by Hyperthermia

This chapter focuses on cell death, the cell cycle, and cell survival signal transduction pathways in mammalian cells. Environmental stresses induce many kinds of signal transduction pathways such as cell death signals and survival signals. Fate of the cells is dependent on those cellular responses. The gene products of tumor suppressor genes such as the p53 proto-oncogene and the products of other proto-oncogenes play important roles in these signaling pathways. The diverse pathways through which these elements interact with each other, and their close links to other nuclear and extranuclear signaling networks compel us to reconsider the concept of stress responses to cancer therapies such as hyperthermia, radiation and anti-tumor drugs.