Heat-Shock Proteins in Diagnosis and Treatment: An Overview of Different Biochemical and Immunological Functions

Abstract

Heat-shock proteins (HSPs) have been involved in different functions including chaperone activity, protein folding, apoptosis, autophagy and immunity. The HSP families have powerful effects on the stimulation of innate immune responses through Toll-like receptors and scavenger receptors. Moreover, HSP-mediated phagocytosis directly enhances the processing and presentation of internalized antigens via the endocytic pathway in adaptive immune system. These properties of HSPs have been used for development of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines against infectious and noninfectious diseases. Several studies also demonstrated the relationship between HSPs and drug resistance as well as their use as a novel biomarker for detecting tumors in patients. The present review describes different roles of HSPs in biology and medicine especially biochemical and immunological aspects.

Keywords::

• apoptosis
• autophagy
• biomarker
• heat-shock proteins
• immunity
• vaccine

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties. The authors declare no competing interests.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.