Definition

A cancer vaccine containing a peptide antigen derived from a specific protein heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) generated by tumor cells, with potential immunostimulating and antineoplastic activities. Upon vaccination, the HSP90 peptide vaccine may activate the immune system to induce an immune response against HSP90-expressing tumor cells. Hsp90, a chaperone complex protein upregulated in a variety of tumor cell types, regulates the folding and degradation of many oncogenic signaling proteins.