Abstract:
Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1, is a dimeric protein complex that plays
an important role in the body's response to low oxygen concentrations or
hypoxia. HIF-1 is one of the main genes involved in the homeostatic process,
which can increase vascularization in hypoxic areas such as localized ischemia
and tumors. It is a transcription factor for dozens of target genes; HIF-1 is
also important for immunological responses and is an important physiological
regulator of homeostasis, vascularization, and anaerobic metabolism. In
addition, HIF-1 is increasingly being studied due to its purported therapeutic
potential. Because it induces angiogenesis, upregulation of this gene in
patients with ischemia may promote vascular proliferation required for
oxygenation. On the contrary, since HIF-1 promotes the survival and
proliferation of cancer cells due to its angiogenic properties, inhibition could
potentially prevent the spread of cancer. With the growing understanding of
the HIF-1 pathway, inhibition and stimulation of its transcriptional activity by
small molecules is currently an attractive target. Gene therapy to achieve both
vascular proliferation and tumor regression has been demonstrated in animal
studies but needs significant improvement and modification before it is
commercially available. This review examines the potential of the HIF-1
pathway in a therapeutic intervention for diseases such as cancer and
ischemia.
