Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are ubiquitous ATP-independent chaperones that play

essential roles in response to cellular stresses and protein homeostasis. Investigations of sHSPs reveal

that sHSPs are ubiquitously expressed in numerous types of tumors, and their expression is closely

associated with cancer progression. sHSPs have been suggested to control a diverse range of cancer

functions, including tumorigenesis, cell growth, apoptosis, metastasis, and chemoresistance, as well as

regulation of cancer stem cell properties. Recent advances in the field indicate that some sHSPs have

been validated as a powerful target in cancer therapy. In this entreviewy, we present and highlight current

understanding, recent progress, and future challenges of sHSPs in cancer development and therapy.