Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 3, 2025
Induction and Testing of Hypoxia in Cell Culture
Published on: August 12, 2011
Multifaceted Interplay between Hormones, Growth Factors and Hypoxia in the Tumor Microenvironment
Rosamaria Lappano1, Lauren A Todd2, Mia Stanic3
1Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy.
Abstract:
Hormones and growth factors (GFs) are signaling molecules implicated in the regulation of a variety of cellular processes. They play important roles in both healthy and tumor cells, where they function by binding to specific receptors on target cells and activating downstream signaling cascades. The stages of tumor progression are influenced by hormones and GF signaling. Hypoxia, a hallmark of cancer progression, contributes to tumor plasticity and heterogeneity. Most solid tumors contain a hypoxic core due to rapid cellular proliferation that outgrows the blood supply. In these circumstances, hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) play a central role in the adaptation of tumor cells to their new environment, dramatically reshaping their transcriptional profile. HIF signaling is modulated by a variety of factors including hormones and GFs, which activate signaling pathways that enhance tumor growth and metastatic potential and impair responses to therapy. In this review, we summarize the role of hormones and GFs during cancer onset and progression with a particular focus on hypoxia and the interplay with HIF proteins. We also discuss how hypoxia influences the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy, considering that a hypoxic environment may act as a determinant of the immune-excluded phenotype and a major hindrance to the success of adoptive cell therapies.
Insights
Hormones and growth factors (GFs) impact tumor progression by influencing hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). This interaction affects cancer growth, metastasis, and immunotherapy response, highlighting a key area for cancer research.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Signaling
Background:
- Hormones and growth factors (GFs) are crucial signaling molecules regulating cellular processes in both normal and cancer cells.
- Tumor progression is significantly influenced by hormonal and GF signaling pathways.
- Hypoxia, a common feature in solid tumors, drives tumor plasticity and heterogeneity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the roles of hormones and GFs in cancer development and progression.
- To emphasize the interplay between hypoxia and hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) in cancer.
- To discuss the impact of hypoxia on cancer immunotherapy efficacy.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on hormonal and GF signaling in cancer.
- Analysis of the role of hypoxia and HIFs in tumor adaptation and progression.
- Examination of hypoxia's influence on the tumor immune microenvironment and immunotherapy outcomes.
Main Results:
- Hormones and GFs modulate HIF signaling, promoting tumor growth, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance.
- Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are central to tumor cell adaptation in hypoxic environments.
- Hypoxic conditions can lead to an immune-excluded phenotype, hindering immunotherapy effectiveness.
Conclusions:
- The intricate relationship between hormones, GFs, hypoxia, and HIFs is critical in cancer progression.
- Understanding these signaling networks is essential for developing novel cancer therapies.
- Hypoxia poses a significant challenge to current cancer immunotherapies, particularly adoptive cell therapies.
Related Concept Videos
02:17The Tumor Microenvironment
01:24Regulation of Angiogenesis and Blood Supply
02:53Adaptive 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,...
03:03mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
01:28Role of Hematopoietic Growth Factors
Thrombopoietin (TPO), mainly released by the liver,...
01:19Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...