Hypoxia-inducible factor-1, a new possible important factor in neoplasia

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is one of the major factors responsible for the activation of compensation processes during cell hypoxia. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 is a dimeric protein complex and serves as a transcription factor regulator for many target genes. Under normoxic conditions it is constitutively produced and degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. But under hypoxic conditions HIF-1 becomes stabilized. The expression of HIF-1 increases vascularization of the ischaemic area and regulates anaerobic metabolism. The same processes were observed in neoplastic tissues. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 and its participation in neoplasia, the inhibition and stimulation of its transcriptional activity, attracts the attention of many scientists as the understanding of its function in tumour progression could be used in the future for preparation of new antineoplastic therapies.