Targeting HSP90 for cancer therapy

D. Mahalingam, R. Swords, J. S. Carew, S. T. Nawrocki, K. Bhalla, F. J. Giles

Research output: Contribution to journalShort surveypeer-review

267 Scopus citations

Abstract

Heat-shock proteins (HSPs) are molecular chaperones that regulate protein folding to ensure correct conformation and translocation and to avoid protein aggregation. Heat-shock proteins are increased in many solid tumours and haematological malignancies. Many oncogenic proteins responsible for the transformation of cells to cancerous forms are client proteins of HSP90. Targeting HSP90 with chemical inhibitors would degrade these oncogenic proteins, and thus serve as useful anticancer agents. This review provides an overview of the HSP chaperone machinery and the structure and function of HSP90. We also highlight the key oncogenic proteins that are regulated by HSP90 and describe how inhibition of HSP90 could alter the activity of multiple signalling proteins, receptors and transcriptional factors implicated in carcinogenesis.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1523-1529
Number of pages7
JournalBritish Journal of Cancer
Volume100
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - May 19 2009

Funding

Dr Kapil Bhalla received a clinical and laboratory research grant from Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research Inc. and Merck Pharmaceuticals.

Keywords

  • AKT
  • BCR-ABL
  • EGFR
  • HER-2
  • Heat-shock proteins
  • Tumour suppressor genes
  • VEGF

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

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