Potential use of heat shock protein 90 as a biomarker for the diagnosis of human diseases.

INTRODUCTION: The heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a protein involved in many different biological processes and especially in cell survival. Some of these functions require the participation of other biological molecules, so Hsp90 is a chaperone that takes part in many protein-protein interactions working as a critical signaling hub protein. As a member of the heat shock protein family, Hsp90 expression is regulated under certain environmental and/or stressful situations, therefore Hsp90 concentration can be monitored and linked to these effects. AREAS COVERED: This review discusses the Hsp90 expression in samples from individuals affected by different diseases (from infectious to cancer origin), and the biological consequences of these disorders, including the potential use of Hsp90 as a biomarker for the diagnosis of human diseases. EXPERT OPINION: The potential of Hsp90 as a biomarker disease has been demonstrated in several studies in relation to infectious diseases and especially cancer. However, further research in this field is still needed, mainly to validate in statistically significant clinical studies that the detection of Hsp90 protein allows the diagnosis of some cancers at an early stage and also that it can act as a biomarker for monitoring the efficacy of their therapies.

Biomarker sensing platforms based on fluorescent metal nanoclusters.

Metal nanoclusters (NCs) and their unique properties are increasing in importance and their applications are covering a wide range of areas. Their remarkable fluorescence properties and easy synthesis procedure and the possibility of functionalizing them for the detection of specific targets, such as biomarkers, make them a very interesting biosensing tool. Nowadays the detection of biomarkers related to different diseases is critical. In this context, NCs scaffolded within an appropriate molecule can be used to detect and quantify biomarkers through specific interactions and fluorescence properties of the NCs. These methods include analytical detection and biolocalization using imaging techniques. This review covers a selection of recent strategies to detect biomarkers related to diverse diseases (from infectious, inflammatory, or tumour origin) using fluorescent nanoclusters.