Heat (Shock) and the Skin

Abstract
Whereas hyperthermia has long been used in dermatology for the therapy of diseases as diverse as syphilis gonorrhea, psoriasis or melanoma, the understanding of the biological effects of heat shock on the skin attracts new interests to an old field. The proteins induced by heat (stress or heat shock proteins) appear to play a general role in protection from cellular injury and eventually in the natural defences from solar radiation. On the other hand these ubiquitous proteins may also be involved in the immunopathology of diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus or leprosy.