Background: Alpha B-Crystallin (CRYAB) is a molecular chaperone of seemingly diverse function. CRYAB is an independent prognostic marker in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) [ [1] Chin D, Boyle G, Williams R, Ferguson K, Pandeya N, Pedley J, et al. Alpha B-Crystallin, a new independent marker for poor prognosis in head and neck cancer. Laryngoscope 115 (7) 1239–42, 2005. Google Scholar ] and breast cancer [ [2] Moyano J, Evans J, Chen F, Lu M, Werner ME, Yehiely F, et al. Alpha B-Crystallin is a novel oncoprotein that predicts poor clinical outcome in breast cancer. J Clin Invest. 116 (1) 261–70. Google Scholar ], associated with poor outcome. There is evidence for the role of CRYAB as an oncogene [ 3 Gruvberger-Saal S, Parsons R. Is the small heat shock protein alpha B-crystallin an oncogene? J Clin Invest. 116 (1) 30–2. Google Scholar , 4 Arrigo A, Simon S, Gibert B, Kretz-Remy C, Nivon M, Czekalla A, et al. Hsp 27 (HspB1) and alpha B-crystallin (HspB5) as therapeutic targets. FEBS Letters. 581 3665–74. Google Scholar ] and previous descriptions of its role in increasing tumour survival by promoting angiogenesis [ [5] Dimberg A, Rylova S, Dieterich L, Olsson A, Schiller P, Wikner C, et al. Alpha B-Crystallin promotes tumour angiogenesis by increasing vascular survival during tube morphogenesis. Blood. {e-pub ahead of print, Dec 6 2007}. Google Scholar ] and prevention of apoptosis [ 4 Arrigo A, Simon S, Gibert B, Kretz-Remy C, Nivon M, Czekalla A, et al. Hsp 27 (HspB1) and alpha B-crystallin (HspB5) as therapeutic targets. FEBS Letters. 581 3665–74. Google Scholar , 6 Liu S, Li J, Tao Y, Xiao X. Small heat shock protein CRYAB binds to p53 to sequester its translocation to mitochondria during hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 354 (1) 109–14. Google Scholar ]. Alpha B-Crystallin has previously been associated with other tumours including glioma, rectal and thyroid carcinomas, as well as degenerative and demyelinating neurological disease, and it has been shown that CRYAB is overexpressed in stressed tissues as in ischaemic heart disease.