Herbimcyin is a sparingly soluble benzoquinone anti-tumor agent which interacts with the stress-induced chaperone protein Hsp90 (heat shock protein 90).
| Mechanism of Action | Herbimycin A binds specifically to the heat shock protein Hsp90 and to its endoplasmic reticulum homologue GP96, and thus interferes with conformational maturation of proteins and the cellular stress response. |
| Cancer Applications | In normal cells, Hsp90 stabilizes and folds proteins, however, in tumor cells, Hsp90 activity helps stabilize mutated growth factor and signal proteins which facilitate tumor growth. To prevent this complication, Herbimycin A binds to and inactivates Hsp90 in cancerous cells leading to degradation of cancer cell proteins. |
| Molecular Formula | C30H42N2O9 |
| References | Eichhorn, Kai. "Geldanamycin: The Prototype of a Class of Antitumor Drugs Targeting the Heat Shock Protein 90 Family of Molecular Chaperones." Cell Stress Chaperones6.2 (2001): 105-12. www.ncbi.gov. Web. 6 Sept. 2012. |
