We therefore examined the potential heat shock response-inducer activity of three representative isothiocyanates: allyl (AITC)-, benzyl (BITC)-, and phenethyl (PEITC) isothiocyanates (Fig. 1A) in the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, using Hsp70 as a prototypic heat shock protein. Here, HSPA1A is linked to breast cancer.