CLINICAL AND THERAPEUTIC SIGNIFICANCE OF HEAT SHOCK PROTEINS

Multiple experimental investigations have been successful in suggesting the role of heat shock protein as a clinical biomarker and therapeutic target in several diseases. All living cells, from the simplest prokaryote to the most complex multicellular organism, contain heat shock proteins-molecular chaperones that are responsible for management of unfolded polypeptides within the cell. In view of the fundamental role of heat shock proteins in maintenance of protein homeostasis, it seems likely that malfunctions associated with members of heat shock protein families would have pathological effects. Such effects might be minimal under normal physiological conditions, but could be exacerbated at times. This review provides an overview of the cell biology and immunology of heat shock proteins focusing predominantly on immunological responses to heat shock proteins in a range of immune-mediated diseases and in infectious diseases.