title: Heat Shock Proteins Promote Cancer: It's a Protection Racket.
abstract: Heat shock proteins (HSP) are expressed at high levels in cancer and form a fostering environment that is essential for tumor development. Here, we review the recent data in this area, concentrating mainly on Hsp27, Hsp70, and Hsp90. The overriding role of HSPs in cancer is to stabilize the active functions of overexpressed and mutated cancer genes. Thus, elevated HSPs are required for many of the traits that underlie the morbidity of cancer, including increased growth, survival, and formation of secondary cancers. In addition, HSPs participate in the evolution of cancer treatment resistance. HSPs are also released from cancer cells and influence malignant properties by receptor-mediated signaling. Current data strongly support efforts to target HSPs in cancer treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. CLS610, 300 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA. Electronic address: scalderw@bidmc.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Stuart K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Calderwood
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
authors.forename: Jianlin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gong
mesh_terms: D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D006801:Humans; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D009154:Mutation; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D055550:Protein Stability; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins; C057725:HSPB1 protein, human; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C495901:TP53 protein, human; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A