The combination of silencing BAG3 and inhibition of the JNK pathway enhances hyperthermia sensitivity in human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Hyperthermia (HT) is a widely used physical treatment for various cancers, but its effect is often insufficient because of cytoprotective effects of heat shock proteins. BAG3, a co-chaperone of the heat shock protein 70, is a stress-inducible protein and demonstrates a cytoprotective property against various stresses, including heat stress. Here, we examined the effects of silencing the BAG3 on the sensitivity to HT in human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) HSC-3 cells. HT (44 °C, 90 min) was significantly increased in apoptotic cells concomitant with the activations of caspase-3 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway. Furthermore, the sensitivity to HT was remarkably enhanced in BAG3-downregulated HSC-3 cells. Interestingly, the effects of this combination treatment were significantly enhanced in the cells pretreated with a JNK inhibitor, SP600125. These findings indicated that the disruption of functions of both BAG3 and the JNK pathway may become an option in HT therapy in OSCC cells.