Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Induction and Testing of Hypoxia in Cell Culture
Published on: August 12, 2011
Targeting the molecular basis for tumour hypoxia
Veronica A Carroll1, Margaret Ashcroft
1Cell Growth Regulation and Angiogenesis Laboratory, Cancer Research UK Centre for Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5NG, UK. veronica.carroll@icr.ac.uk
Abstract:
Tumour hypoxia stems from impaired oxygen delivery as a result of a disorganised tumour vasculature and inadequate blood supply. Hypoxic tumours are highly resistant to chemotherapy and radiation therapy and correlate with a poor patient prognosis. Hypoxia is a powerful stimulus for the expression of genes involved in cell survival and angiogenesis. A key factor in this process is hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), which regulates transcription of hypoxia-activated genes. Efforts are currently under way to develop targeted cancer therapeutics to hypoxia-activated pathways, and in particular to the transcription factor HIF.
Related Concept Videos
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Regulation of Angiogenesis and Blood Supply
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...

