Hsp90 Inhibitors Disrupt Mitochondrial Homeostasis in Cancer Cells

Hsp90 is a cytosolic molecular chaperone whose paralog in mitochondria, TRAP1, protects cells from oxidative stress. The recent study in Cell by Kang et al. now identifies the molecular components of the proapoptotic network regulated by TRAP1, that includes Hsp90. Targeting Hsp90/TRAP1 inhibitors to mitochondria induces rapid tumor cell-specific apoptosis.