title: Therapeutic potential of α-crystallin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The findings that α-crystallins are multi-functional proteins with diverse biological functions have generated considerable interest in understanding their role in health and disease. Recent studies have shown that chaperone peptides of α-crystallin could be delivered into cultured cells and in experimental animals with beneficial effects against protein aggregation, oxidation, inflammation and apoptosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this review, we will summarize the latest developments on the therapeutic potential of α-crystallins and their functional peptides.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  α-Crystallins and their functional peptides have shown significant favorable effects against several diseases. Their targeted delivery to tissues would be of great therapeutic benefit. However, α-crystallins can also function as disease-causing proteins. These seemingly contradictory functions must be carefully considered prior to their therapeutic use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  αA and αB-Crystallin are members of the small heat shock protein family. These proteins exhibit molecular chaperone and anti-apoptotic activities. The core crystallin domain within these proteins is largely responsible for these prosperities. Recent studies have identified peptides within the crystallin domain of both α- and αB-crystallins with remarkable chaperone and anti-apoptotic activities. Administration of α-crystallin or their functional peptides has shown substantial inhibition of pathologies in several diseases. However, α-crystallins have been shown to promote disease-causing pathways. These two sides of the proteins are discussed in this review. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Crystallin Biochemistry in Health and Disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. Electronic address: ram.nagaraj@ucdenver.edu.
authors.forename: Ram H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Nagaraj
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
authors.forename: Rooban B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Nahomi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
authors.forename: Niklaus H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
authors.forename: Cibin T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Raghavan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ammar
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
authors.forename: J Mark
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Petrash
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D066263:Protein Aggregation, Pathological / Q000188:drug therapy*; D038201:alpha-Crystallins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D010455:Peptides; D038201:alpha-Crystallins
keywords: Apoptosis; Chaperone; Inflammation; Protein aggregation; Therapeutic potential; α-crystallin
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