Edited by
Alexzander A. A. Asea
Bente K. Pedersen

2010

The heat shock proteins (HSP) are a family of highly conserved proteins with critical roles in maintaining cellular homeostasis and in protecting the cell from chronically and acutely stressful conditions. HSP are molecular chaperones that participate in a variety of physiological processes and are widespread in organisms, tissues, and cells. It follows that chaperone failure will have an impact, possibly serious, on one or more cellular function, which may lead to disease.