IMR Press / FBL / Volume 14 / Issue 12 / DOI: 10.2741/3565

Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark (FBL) is published by IMR Press from Volume 26 Issue 5 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.

Article
Significance of heat shock proteins in the skin upon UV exposure
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1 Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
2 Karl Landsteiner Institute for Dermatological Research, Propst-Fuehrer-Strasse 4, 3400 Sankt Poelten, Austria
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2009, 14(12), 4758–4768; https://doi.org/10.2741/3565
Published: 1 January 2009
Abstract

The expression of heat shock proteins (Hsp) expression is induced in all cells by exposure to heat and other environmental stress and Hsp can protect cells from damage through further exposure. Hsp are highly conserved and it is likely that they are essential for survival in a potentially harmful environment. Most Hsp are molecular chaperones sensing unfolded proteins and mediating their re-folding, transport, and interaction. In human epidermis Hsp are associated with differentiation, photoprotection, and skin disease. Recent research has mainly focused on the 27kD and 72kD Hsp that are constitutively expressed in keratinocytes. Cell death induced by ultraviolet radiation (UV) can be inhibited by previous heat shock and UV itself can induce Hsp experimentally. Regulation of Hsp can be pharmacologically modified and topical and systemic inducers and inhibitors of Hsp expression are under development. Whether phototherapy exerts its clinical efficacy by modulation of Hsp has not been sufficiently studied. The UV-wavelength ranges, -intensities and -doses that are required to interfere with the heat shock response in the skin still remain to be elucidated.

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