HSPA1(heat shock 70kDa protein 1A) also known as HSP70-1, HSPA1A, HSP70-1A, HSP72 or HSP70I, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the HSPA1A gene. This intronless gene encodes a 70kDa heat shock protein which is a member of the heat shock protein 70 family. The HSPA1A gene encodes a predicted 641-amino acid protein. The HSPA1 gene is mapped on 6p21.33. Shimizu et al. (1999) found that peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 18 major depression patients expressed a short HSPA1A transcript that utilized exon 1 rather than exon 2, which is found in the more common HSPA1A transcript. No protein was associated with expression of this short HSPA1A mRNA, possibly due to lack of a TATA box or loss of internal ribosome binding sites. Treatment with BGP-15, a pharmacologic inducer of Hsp72 that can protect against obesity-induced insulin resistance, improved muscular architecture, strength, and contractile function in severely affected diaphragm muscles in mdx dystrophic mice.