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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Induction and Testing of Hypoxia in Cell Culture
Published on: August 12, 2011
Genes commonly upregulated by hypoxia in human breast cancer cells MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231
Hiroko Bando1, Masakazu Toi, Kunio Kitada
1Breast Cancer Research Group, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Diseases Center, Honkomagome, 3-18-22, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0087, Japan.
Abstract:
Hypoxia is a stress that causes alterations in signal transduction and gene instability. In the cancer microenvironment, hypoxia plays a significant role in forming a tumor phenotype and tumor progression. We aimed to identify the genes upregulated by hypoxia in human breast cancer cell lines, a hormone-dependent MCF-7 and a hormone-independent MDA-MB-231, using microarray analysis. These cells were exposed to two oxygen concentrations such as 21% and 1% in a time-course. Out of 12625 genes, 26 genes were identified as commonly upregulated in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Some of these genes were already reported as hypoxia-related, but some of those were identified newly. These commonly upregulated genes between hormone-dependent and hormone-independent cells would be a clue to study hypoxia-related events and to explore the novel therapeutic targets in human breast cancer.
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