Heat shock protein beta-1 (HSPB1)

Heat shock protein beta-1 is a small heat shock protein and molecular chaperone encoded by the HSPB1 gene. It is ubiquitously expressed in human tissues and helps maintain protein homeostasis by binding to and refolding denatured or misfolded proteins, especially under conditions of cellular stress such as heat, oxidative injury, or toxins. In neurons, it maintains axonal structure by organizing neurofilaments, supporting nerve impulse transmission. HSPB1 is involved in actin and cytoskeleton organization, muscle fiber contraction, and cellular migration. It acts as an inhibitor of apoptosis by interfering with pro-apoptotic signals and proteins. Mutations in the HSPB1 gene are linked to hereditary neuropathies such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and distal hereditary motor neuropathy. Overexpression of HSPB1 is correlated with increased resistance to therapy and poor prognosis in several cancers, where it helps tumor cells evade stress-induced apoptosis and promotes metastasis.

Other names

28 kDa heat shock proteinEstrogen-regulated 24 kDa proteinHeat shock 27 kDa proteinHeat shock protein family B member 1HSP 27HSP27HSP28HspB1SRP27Stress-responsive protein 27

Drugs or experimental inhibitors often act as chaperone activity inhibitors, aggregation modulators, or modulators of apoptosis and stress responses