Oridonin poses oxidative stress to target proteins by reacting with thiol groups in cancer cells, and at the same time enhances the expression of HSP70 and polyubiquitin genes by activating HSF1, which likely shifts the activity of HSP70 from protein folding to degradation as seen from the subsequent degradation of a group of oncogenic client proteins, including BCR-ABL and MYC. The gene discussed is HSF1; the disease is cancer.