Heat shock protein 90 inhibition and multi-target approach to maximize cardioprotection in ischaemic injury

Despite several advances in medicine, ischaemic heart disease remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The unravelling of molecular mechanisms underlying disease pathophysiology has revealed targets for pharmacological interventions. However, transfer of these pharmcological possibilities to clinical use has been disappointing. Considering the complexity of ischaemic disease at the cellular and molecular levels, an equally multifaceted treatment approach may be envisioned. The pharmacological principle of 'one target, one key' may fall short in such contexts, and optimal treatment may involve one or many agents directed against complementary targets. Here, we introduce a 'multi-target approach to cardioprotection' and propose heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) as a target of interest. We report on a member of a distinct class of HSP90 inhibitor possessing pleiotropic activity, which we found to exhibit potent infarct-sparing effects.