Description

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Context

The team from JNU's Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, identified a human protein, Hsp70, as a critical factor in the spread of diseases like malaria and Covid-19.

Working alongside Indian and Russian researchers the team has developed a small molecule inhibitor that could revolutionize treatments for multiple infectious diseases.

Read about Malaria: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/malaria-2

Read about covid variants: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/new-covid-variants

The Small Molecule Inhibitor: PES-Cl

The researchers developed and tested PES-Cl a small molecule inhibitor of Hsp70.

The researchers successfully inhibited SARS-CoV-2 replication in infected cells at a low dose.

The researchers demonstrated potential to block the replication of malaria parasites.

The research highlighted the effectiveness of host-targeting antivirals which are less likely to face resistance compared to traditional antiviral drugs.

Advantages of Host-Targeting Antivirals

Aspect	Benefit
Reduced Drug Resistance	Viruses cannot easily mutate host proteins to evade the drug's action.
Broad-Spectrum Action	Effective against multiple pathogens using similar host machinery.
Preparedness	Helps tackle rapidly evolving pathogens and variants like Omicron.

About Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70)

Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70) is a molecular chaperone that plays a crucial role in protein folding, stabilization and cellular stress response. This highly conserved protein family is critical for maintaining cellular homeostasis especially under stress conditions like heat, toxins and infections.

Molecular chaperones are defined as proteins that assists in the folding, assembly and conformational maintenance other proteins without becoming part of its final structure.

Characteristics of HSP70

Characteristic	Description
Molecular Weight	Approximately 70 kDa.
Conservation	Highly conserved across species from bacteria to humans.
Induction	Expression increases under stress conditions such as heat shock.
Localization	Found in various cellular compartments, including cytosol, nucleus and organelles.

Role of HSP70 in Cellular Processes

Process	Role of HSP70
Protein Quality Control	Ensures the proper folding and degradation of damaged proteins.
Stress Response	Increases expression to protect cellular machinery during stress.
Signal Transduction	Modulates pathways by stabilizing signaling proteins.
Cancer	Overexpressed in tumors aiding in survival under hypoxic and acidic conditions.
Neuroprotection	Reduces protein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

Therapeutic Applications of HSP70

Application	Description
Cancer Therapy	Inhibitors of HSP70 being studied for tumor suppression.
Neuroprotection	Enhancing HSP70 expression to combat neurodegenerative diseases.
Vaccine Development	Acts as an adjuvant to enhance immune responses in vaccines.
Cardioprotection	Preconditioning therapies to protect cardiac tissues during ischemic events.

Sources:

INDIATODAY

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.With reference to Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70), consider the following statements:

HSP70 is exclusively found in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells.
It assists in folding newly synthesized proteins and refolding misfolded proteins.
HSP70 levels increase during cellular stress conditions such as heat and oxidative stress.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b)

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect. HSP70 is not exclusively found in the cytoplasm; it is present in various cellular compartments including the cytoplasm, nucleus, mitochondria and even extracellular spaces depending on the isoform.

Statement 2 is correct. HSP70 plays a vital role as a molecular chaperone assisting in the folding of newly synthesized proteins and refolding misfolded proteins during stress conditions.

Statement 3 is correct. The expression of HSP70 is upregulated in response to stress conditions like heat shock, oxidative stress and exposure to toxins making it a critical component of the cellular stress response.