[Publisher-supplied data] The stress proteins or heat shock proteins were originally identified on the basis of their enhanced synthesis following stress. It is now clear, however, that they also play a key role in stressed cells and in specific human diseases. This book provides a comprehensive account of these proteins emphasizing the functions of the different stress proteins in unstressed and stressed cells of different types, their regulation by stressful and non-stressful stimuli and their roles in a range of human diseases.