Thermal cycling-hyperthermia down-regulates liposaccharide-induced inflammation in human blood and helps with clearance of herpes simplex virus type 1

Infection would lead to temperature increase in the affected region or entire human body, in order to weaken the pathogens, such as virus, or activate the immune system. As an alternative therapy with extensive application for various diseases, hyperthermia (HT) can regulate the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the antiviral activity of immune system. However, existing studies have found that overheating impairs healthy tissues and immune cells. The study puts forth a modified HT treatment, thermal cycling-hyperthermia (TC-HT), looking into its effect on immunomodulation and cellular viabilities. It shows that TC-HT can reduce the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) both ex vivo and in vitro, and elevate the efficacy of U-937 macrophages in clearing herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in vitro. Furthermore, via optimizing its parameters, TC-HT can boost the efficacy of U-937 macrophage in clearing HSV-1, which may be attributed to the enhancement of actin polymerization and phagocytosis activity via TC-HT. In sum, TC-HT outperforms HT in safety and therapeutic effect in immunomodulation, shedding light on its potential in the treatment of immunological diseases.