Hypoxia is characterized as a decrease oxygen levels in tissue, represents a fundamental pathophysiological condition in the microenvironment of solid tumors. The key component of hypoxia sensing in the cell is the hypoxia­inducible factor (HIF), a transcriptional activator that mediates adaptive responses to hypoxia. HIF is a heterodimer comprising an oxygen­regulated a­subunit (HIF­1a) and a constitutively expressed b­subunit (HIF­1b). HIF­1 activity increases in the majority of human cancers and acts as a master transcription factor that has received the most intense attention in the field of cancer biology. The stability and activity of HIF­1 are regulated by its post­translational modifications such as hydroxylation, ubiquitination, acetylation, and phosphorylation. HIF­I induces a series of genes that participate in angiogenesis, iron metabolism, glucose metabolism, and cell proliferation/survival. Some novel agents have been shown to be targeted  HIF­1 through a variety of molecular mechanisms and could represent a novel approach to cancer therapy. 

Keywords: Hypoxia­InducibleFactor­1;CancerProgression;  TherapeuticTarget