The Role of Chaperone Proteins


Cells are the basic building blocks of all living things and the human body is composed of trillions of cells.

Proteins are the workhorses of the cell and each expertly performs a specific task. The collection of proteins within a particular cell determines its health and function.

A chain of amino acids forms the primary structure for every protein, but proteins are only useful to cells when their chain of amino acids folds into a particular shape. Misfolded proteins cannot perform their specific function and also stick together, forming clumps, and overcrowding the cell.

Many proteins cannot fold themselves without help.

Chaperone Proteins take on this task of folding. Without chaperones, the proteins are not able to find their correct form and the cell’s health is negatively impacted.



An incorrectly formed protein is useless to the cell and becomes junk. The damage that this junk causes to the cell is two-fold; loss of function and overcrowding.

Cellular stress can damage proteins and turn them into junk as well.

As we age, more junk is accumulated in our cells.

The more junk that is accumulated in the cell, the less healthy the cell becomes and the more problems that arise.

Chaperone Proteins take on the role of controllers and work to maintain and rejuvenate the cell. They identify the junk and either repair or eliminate it.

Free radicals are the toxins of the cell and they also accumulate with age.

Chaperone Proteins are also our natural, free radical scavengers inside the cell. They find the free radicals and eliminate them.