MAPK8 and cancer: In this regard, Lanneau et al [36] reported that HSPs play a critical role in maintaining the balance between cell death and survival through modulating several signalling cascades such as JNK, AKT, and NF-κB. The ability of cells to recover following heat shock and gain thermotolerance explains why several studies indicate that HT modalities, when applied alone, are insufficient to kill cancer cells.