Definition

A recombinant peptide that is chemically identical to or similar to the endogenous 70-kD heat shock protein (HSP70). HSP70 is a molecular chaperone that prevents physiologic stress-induced cell death by inhibiting both caspase-dependent and caspase-independent apoptosis. Because this peptide is often overexpressed in tumor cells, autologous vaccination with HSP70 derived from tumor cells may stimulate the host immune system to mount a tumoricidal cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response.