Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), one of the most abundant proteins expressed in cells, regulates cellular homeostasis by chaperoning protein folding and trafficking. Hsp90 is also highly upregulated in response to stress. The N-terminal domain of Hsp90 includes an ATP binding site, and ATPase activity is necessary for all of its cellular functions. To date, over 200 Hsp90 “client” proteins have been identified and many of these are involved in signal transduction.
Hsp90 has been implicated in diseases such as cancer, and its expression is up-regulated during oncogenesis. High expression is associated with poor prognosis for cancers, such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer and melanoma.
Proteins such as glucose-regulated protein 94 (GRP94) and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein (TRAP1) share homology with Hsp90 and both proteins also possess ATPase activity. While inhibitors of Hsp90 have been shown to have antiproliferative and antitumor activities, current Hsp90 inhibitors may bind nonspecifically to GRP94 and TRAP1. There is a need for compounds that selectively bind to Hsp90.