title: The distinctive role of small heat shock proteins in oncogenesis.
abstract: Recently, the role of small heat shock proteins (HSPs) has been widely recognized in cancer research. Small HSPs are tumorprotective via numerous, independent mechanisms such as: oxidative stress, protection preventing protein denaturation, anti-apoptotic activity, and likely direct suppression of the immune system. However, it is unclear whether they play any role in the initial steps in carcinogenesis. This article seeks to familiarize the reader with general characteristics of small HSPs (especially HSP-27, alphaA/B-crystallins), their tissue distribution with special regard on expression in malignant specimens, and biological properties of intracellular HSP-27 and alphaA/B-crystallins promoting tumor genesis and growth. A separate chapter describes immunomodulatory characteristics of extracellular HSP-27 with special emphasis on their plausible effect on the neoplasm development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St., Derby, CT 06418, USA, and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Medical University of Łodź, Poland. klaudanski@sbcglobal.net
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Laudanski
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wyczechowska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003459:Crystallins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D050888:Heat-Shock Proteins, Small / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D003459:Crystallins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D050888:Heat-Shock Proteins, Small