Mechanism of action and clinical significance of hypoxia-inducible factors in hepatocellular carcinoma / 临床肝胆病杂志

Due to the rapid proliferation and growth of tumor cells, hypoxic microenvironment exists in many solid tumors, and hypoxia inducible factors (HIF) are critical for sensing oxygen tension within tumors and subsequently mediating the activation of hypoxia responses. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most hypoxic tumors. This article summarizes the mechanism of action of HIF in promoting the development and progression of HCC by promoting glycolysis, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis, immune escape, and cancer stem cell formation. At present, the development of targeted drugs for HIF inhibitors has broad prospects in the treatment of HCC, and the detection of HIF also has a potential value in prognostic evaluation HCC.