Ds. Latchman, HEAT-SHOCK PROTEINS - PROTECTIVE EFFECT AND POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC USE(REVIEW), INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE, 2(4), 1998, pp. 375-381
The heat shock proteins (hsps) are induced by a variety of stressful s
timuli and their overexpression has been shown to protect cells both i
n vitro and in vivo against such stimuli, as well as against stimuli-i
nducing apoptosis. The potential therapeutic benefit of elevating hsp
levels in individuals with, for example, cerebral or cardiac ischaemia
or neurodegenerative diseases has led to the identification of specif
ic methods of inducing hsp expression in a non-stressful manner. These
include pharmacological procedures and cytokine treatment to elevate
endogenous hsp levels and the development of viral vectors to deliver
exogenous hsp genes. The advantages and disadvantages of each of these
methods and their ultimate therapeutic potential are discussed.