Abstract

Heat shock proteins (HSPs), most of which are molecular chaperones, are highly conserved proteins produced by cells under physiological stress or pathological conditions. HSP60 (57–69 kDa) can promote or inhibit cell apoptosis through different mechanisms, and its abnormal expression is also related to tumour cell metastasis and drug resistance. In recent years, HSP60 has received increasing attention in the field of cancer research due to its potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker or therapeutic target. However, in different types of cancer, the specific mechanisms of abnormally expressed HSP60 in tumour carcinogenesis and drug resistance are complicated and still require further study. In this article, we comprehensively review the regulative mechanisms of HSP60 on apoptosis, its applications as a cancer diagnostic biomarker and a therapeutic target, evidence of involvement in tumour resistance and the applications of exosomal HSP60 in liquid biopsy. By evaluating the current findings of HSP60 in cancer research, we highlight some core issues that need to be addressed for the use of HSP60 as a diagnostic or prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in certain types of cancer.

摘要

热休克蛋白（HSPs）多为分子伴侣，是细胞在生理应激或病理条件下产生的高度保守的蛋白质。HSP60（57~69 kDa）可通过不同机制促进或抑制细胞凋亡，其异常表达也与肿瘤细胞转移和耐药有关。近年来，HSP60因其作为诊断和预后生物标志物或治疗靶点的潜力而在癌症研究领域受到越来越多的关注。但在不同类型的癌症中，HSP60异常表达在肿瘤发生和耐药中的具体机制较为复杂，仍需进一步研究。在本文中，我们全面回顾了 HSP60 对细胞凋亡的调控机制，其作为癌症诊断生物标志物和治疗靶点的应用、参与肿瘤抗性的证据以及外泌体 HSP60 在液体活检中的应用。通过评估 HSP60 在癌症研究中的当前发现，我们强调了在某些类型的癌症中使用 HSP60 作为诊断或预后生物标志物和治疗靶点需要解决的一些核心问题。