[Heat shock proteins in colorectal carcinoma]

Heat-shock proteins (HSP) are a group of proteins, whose production in induced as a intracellular response to different kinds of stresses. They are also included in the group of chaperones, which are involved in protein folding and repairing of denatured proteins in the cells. Because of the protective role of HSP on the cellular level, many studies are focused on the role of heat shock proteins in anti-carcinogenic effect. The present study is a review of the literature regarding the value of HSP in the carcinogenic process.