Heat-shock protein complexes serve as cancer drug targets

Researchers have discovered that heat-shock proteins, which help cells respond to stresses such as nutrient and oxygen shortages, form large “epichaperome” protein complexes in some cancer cells. Monica L. Guzman of Weill Cornell Medical College, Gabriela Chiosis of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and coworkers, who carried out the study, propose that the known drug sensitivity of one of the proteins and the prevalence of epichaperomes in cancer cells may make the complexes selective targets . . .