Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α as prognostic marker

Introduction: Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is a key player in the signaling pathway that mediates a complex and pleiotropic range of adaptive responses to hypoxia. It serves as cellular hypoxia sensor and plays a critical role in physiologic processes including glucose metabolism, iron metabolism, erythropoiesis, angiogenesis, cell survival and apoptosis, but also, pathologic processes such as carcinogenesis, progression and metastasis of many cancers. With the recent advent of new molecular targeted therapies, there is a growing need of molecular understanding of physiology and physiopathology and increased demand of diagnosis, prognosis and follow-up markers. Areas covered: This paper reviews the biology of regulation of HIF-1α, its physiological and physiopathological effects. Expert opinion: The authors discuss the potential diagnosis and the prognosis significance of HIF-1α that was evaluated in recent studies.