Hsp70 Molecular Chaperones and Parkinson's Disease

Because over expression of Hsp70 molecular chaperones suppresses the toxicity of aberrantly folded proteins that occur in Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and various polyQ-diseases (Huntington's disease and ataxias), Hsp70 is garnering attention as a possible therapeutic agent for these various diseases. Here, I review progress in this fascinating field of molecular chaperones and neurodegeneration and describe our current understanding of the mechanisms by which Hsp70 protects cells from the PD-relared protein called alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn). (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 93: 218-228, 2010.