The field of heat-shock protein (HSP) research has been revitalized when extracellular HSPs were reported in the literature in the 1990s. Emerging findings suggest that HSPs can perform a wide variety of biological functions, more than their traditional role as molecular chaperones. With prominent speakers from various HSP fields, the 1(st) Heat Shock Protein - Multiple Roles in Inflammation, Vaccination and Homeostasis Conference covered topics on intracellular and extracellular HSPs along with the role of bacterial and self-HSPs. This conference, organized by Euroscicon, brought together more than 20 delegates from industry and academia for a lively discussion of the current state of HSP research.