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Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Interview: Protein Folding and Studies of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 16, 2008
Heat Shock Proteins in Neurodegenerative Diseases
En Ying Yap1, Duan Lu Hou2, Tuchen Guan3
1Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
None:
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), which affect millions globally, are characterized by progressive motor and non-motor deficits and currently lack a cure. Molecular chaperones, particularly heat shock proteins (HSPs), have emerged as promising therapeutic candidates to combat these conditions. HSPs are classified into six major families and have been extensively studied in contexts ranging from autoimmune diseases to cancer and viral infections. Their broad functional repertoire-which includes preventing protein aggregation, correcting misfolding, regulating apoptosis, mediating autophagy, and maintaining proteostasis-positions them as potent modulators of the pathological processes underlying NDs. This review will explore the mechanisms of different HSP classes and critically assess their therapeutic potential for NDs.
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