C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), also known as growth arrest- and DNA damage-inducible gene 153 (GADD153) is a 29 kDa transcription factor that mediates one of the three arms of unfolded protein response (UPR) adaptation to endoplasmic reticulum stressors. CHOP/GADD153 plays a key role in ER stress-mediated apoptosis and in diseases including diabetes, brain ischemia and neurodegenerative disease.

Since induction of CHOP is involved in the development of various diseases, CHOP-targeted therapies may be useful for these diseases. For instance, suppression of CHOP by RNA interference, decoy oligodeoxynucleotides or drug inhibitors could have a significant therapeutic potential to modulate type I diabetes, brain ischemia and others. On the other hand, overexpression of CHOP may represent a new class of anticancer therapy. Since induction of BiP has been observed in a variety of tumor cells, overexpression of CHOP directed by the BiP promoter may be used as a highly specific therapy for cancer. Further studies on CHOP-mediated apoptosis will provide a basis for new therapeutic approaches to diseases associated with ER stress.