Heat shock protein 27 (HSP27): biomarker of disease and therapeutic target

Abstract

Heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) is a multidimensional protein which acts as a protein chaperone and an antioxidant and plays a role in the inhibition of apoptosis and actin cytoskeletal remodeling. In each of these capacities, HSP27 has been implicated in different disease states playing both protective and counter-protective roles. The current review presents HSP27 in multiple disease contexts: renal injury and fibrosis, cancer, neuro-degenerative and cardiovascular disease, highlighting its role as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target. © 2012 Vidyasagar et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.