Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 20, 2025

Malachite Green Assay for the Discovery of Heat-Shock Protein 90 Inhibitors
07:57

Malachite Green Assay for the Discovery of Heat-Shock Protein 90 Inhibitors

Published on: January 20, 2023

6.5K

Membrane-Associated Heat Shock Proteins in Oncology: From Basic Research to New Theranostic Targets

Maxim Shevtsov1,2,3,4,5,6, Zsolt Balogi7, William Khachatryan4

  • 1Center for Translational Cancer Research Technische Universität München (TranslaTUM), Radiation Immuno-Oncology Group, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Einstein Str. 25; 81675 Munich, Germany.

Cells
|May 24, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are crucial for cell survival under stress. Membrane-associated HSPs in tumor cells offer potential for novel cancer therapies and diagnostics.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular biology
  • Cellular stress response
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are vital molecular chaperones maintaining protein homeostasis and cellular defense against stress.
  • HSPs are primarily intracellular but are also found on the plasma membrane of cancer cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of membrane-associated molecular chaperones in normal and tumor cells.
  • To explore the therapeutic and diagnostic potential of these proteins in cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive literature review of studies on HSPs in normal and malignant cells.
  • Analysis of HSP localization and function in various cancer types.
  • Evaluation of HSPs as targets for cancer therapy and diagnostics.

Main Results:

  • Members of HSP families (HSP40, HSP60, HSP70, HSP90, small HSPs) are present on the plasma membrane of tumor cells.
  • Membrane-associated HSPs play roles in cancer cell survival, proliferation, and immune evasion.
  • These proteins show promise as biomarkers for cancer detection and as targets for drug development.

Conclusions:

  • Membrane-associated HSPs represent a significant area of research in cancer biology.
  • Targeting these chaperones could lead to innovative cancer treatment strategies.
  • Further investigation is warranted to fully elucidate their clinical utility in diagnostics and therapeutics.
Keywords:
GRP78GRP96HSP27HSP40HSP60HSP70HSP90calreticulinheat shock proteinstargeted diagnostics and therapy

More Related Videos

Intracellular Refolding Assay07:18

Intracellular Refolding Assay

Published on: January 24, 2012

14.6K
Magnetic Resonance-Guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Generated Hyperthermia: A Feasible Treatment Method in a Murine Rhabdomyosarcoma Model13:41

Magnetic Resonance-Guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Generated Hyperthermia: A Feasible Treatment Method in a Murine Rhabdomyosarcoma Model

Published on: January 13, 2023

2.7K

Related Concept Videos

Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
8.5K
Cancer Therapies02:49

Cancer Therapies

Cancer therapies are various modes of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy that are administered to cancer patients.
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
9.7K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
4.5K
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
7.6K
Molecular Chaperones and Protein Folding03:00

Molecular Chaperones and Protein Folding

The native conformation of a protein is formed by interactions between the side chains of its constituent amino acids. When the amino acids cannot form these interactions, the protein cannot fold by itself and needs chaperones. Notably, chaperones do not relay any additional information required for the folding of polypeptides; the native conformation of a protein is determined solely by its amino acid sequence. Chaperones catalyze protein folding without being a part of the folded protein.
The...
19.4K
Molecular Chaperones and Protein Folding03:00

Molecular Chaperones and Protein Folding

14.5K