The biology of HIFα proteins in cell differentiation and disease

The biology of the α subunits of the hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFα) has expanded in the past years from their original role in angiogenesis to their nowadays position in the self-renewal and differentiation of stem cells. Hypoxia is a physiological condition in different tissues-including tumors-and, may cause stem cells in the onset of genomic instability, this last associated in the scientific literature with the acquisition of a malignant phenotypes. HIFα proteins have been the subjects of excellent scientific contributions in the past years, providing new paradigms in the biology of these key proteins and their pivotal role in cell homeostasis. Over other therapeutic implications, the relevance of studies focused on the etiology of tumor-initiating cells and the characterization of the mechanisms that could lead to their malignancy, is gaining significance in the health areas of cancer and regenerative medicine.