TY - JOUR AB - Among the heat shock proteins (HSP), HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 are the most studied stress-inducible HSPs, and are induced in response to a wide variety of physiological and environmental insults, thus allowing cells to survive to lethal conditions based on their powerful cytoprotective functions. Different functions of HSPs have been described to explain their cytoprotective functions, including their most basic role as molecular chaperones, that is to regulate protein folding, transport, translocation and assembly, especially helping in the refolding of misfolded proteins, as well as their anti-apoptotic properties. In cancer cells, the expression and/or activity of the three HSPs is abnormally high, and is associated with increased tumorigenicity, metastatic potential of cancer cells and resistance to chemotherapy. Associating with key apoptotic factors, they are powerful anti-apoptotic proteins, having the capacity to block the cell death process at different levels. Altogether, the properties suggest that HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 are appropriate targets for modulating cell death pathways. In this review, we summarize the role of HSP90, HSP70 and HSP27 in apoptosis and the emerging strategies that have been developed for cancer therapy based on the inhibition of the three HSPs. AD - College of Basic Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210046, P.R. China AU - Wang,Xiaoxia AU - Chen,Meijuan AU - Zhou,Jing AU - Zhang,Xu DA - 2014/07/01 DO - 10.3892/ijo.2014.2399 EP - 30 IS - 1 JO - Int J Oncol KW - heat shock proteins 27 70 and 90 cancer apoptosis PY - 2014 SN - 1019-6439 1791-2423 SP - 18 ST - HSP27, 70 and 90, anti-apoptotic proteins, in clinical cancer therapy (Review) T2 - International Journal of Oncology TI - HSP27, 70 and 90, anti-apoptotic proteins, in clinical cancer therapy (Review) UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2014.2399 VL - 45 ER -