Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70)

About Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70):

• Hsp70 is a type of molecular chaperone, a protein that plays a vital role in helping other proteins fold into their proper shapes and preventing misfolding.
• It plays a crucial role in regulating protein synthesis and protecting proteins from stress.
• It becomes elevated during times of cellular stress and they help to shield cells from further insults.
• Role in human body: It played an important role in protein folding, preventing protein aggregation and transport of proteins across membranes. These functions enabled HSP to play critical roles in regulation of protein homeostasis and cell survival.
• In condition of cell stress, including environmental (i.e., elevated temperature, oxidative stress, and heavy metal exposure), biological (i.e., cell proliferation and differentiation), and pathological (i.e., inflammation and tumor growth) stress HSP gets elevated,

Highlights of the research

• The team discovered that Hsp70 interacts with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2—the virus responsible for Covid-19—and human ACE2 receptors, which the virus uses to enter cells.
• They hypothesised that during fever, Hsp70 levels rise and help stabilise this interaction, making it easier for the virus to infect cells. By inhibiting Hsp70, they successfully blocked viral replication in lab tests.
• The research suggests that targeting Hsp70 might help prevent drug resistance, a growing problem in treating infections.

Q1: What is a protein?

It is a naturally occurring, extremely complex substance that consists of amino acid residues joined by peptide bonds. Proteins are present in all living organisms and include many essential biological compounds such as enzymes, hormones, and antibodies.

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