HSPB1 and cancer: HSPB1 – a member of the small heat shock proteins for which overexpression in many cancer cells has been associated with an anti-apoptotic role – also presents links with cytoskeletal components [44], the marked increased content in HSPB1 in the F5-T1 and M5-T1 tumors being correlated with an increase in the abundance of K2C8 [32].