Discovery and development of natural heat shock protein 90 inhibitors in cancer treatment

Heat shock protein 90(Hsp90) is a highly conserved molecular chaperone that plays a vital role in the signal transduction of cancers. Hsp90 inhibitors are able to inhibit Hsp90 or the complex of Hsp90 and co-chaperones resulting in the degradation of Hsp90-dependent client proteins through the ubiquitination-proteasome pathway, thereby leading to the growth inhibition of tumor cells. This review will briefly discuss the molecular structure and biological function of Hsp90, and focus on a summary of recent progress in the development and testing of natural Hsp90 inhibitors and their different means by which they interact with Hsp90. (C) 2012 Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Chinese Pharmaceutical Association. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.