ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the effects of heat on macromolecular systems with the goal of generating a set of working hypotheses regarding the mechanisms of cell killing. It begins by describing the plasma membrane, proceed through the cytoskeleton and cytosol to the nucleus. One of the properties of hyperthermia which makes its use in cancer therapy feasible is the ability of heat to systematically kill cells. Many altered plasma membrane functions induced by hyperthermic treatments are those which are presumbly mediated in part, if not entirely, by the protein components of the membrane. Hyperthermia appears to alter the transport functions of the plasma membrane. The microtubules play a key role in the orderly segregation of the genetic material at cell division by forming the mitotic spindle. One important cellular function associated with the cytosol is protein synthesis. This process is very heat sensitive, with many components of the process being affected by heat.
