hypoxia-inducible factor
Quick Summary
Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is a molecule that plays a crucial role in how cells respond to low oxygen levels, a condition known as hypoxia. Under normal oxygen conditions, HIF is marked for degradation. However, when oxygen is scarce, HIF persists and activates cellular responses that help cells survive and proliferate despite the lack of oxygen.1
This discovery, made by scientists including Gregg L. Semenza, William G. Kaelin, Jr., and Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe, earned them the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Understanding HIF is vital because its persistent activity is a hallmark of diseases like cancer, where tumor cells thrive in hypoxic environments. Research into HIF has opened avenues for developing new treatments for conditions such as cancer and ischemic cardiovascular disease.21
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- William G. Kaelin, Jr.
…to another protein, known as hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), which stimulates cell proliferation when oxygen is scarce. At normal oxygen levels, VHL binding marks HIF protein for degradation. When oxygen availability is low, however, VHL no longer undergoes modification and therefore cannot bind to HIF, which allows HIF activation, and hence…
Read More…to another protein, known as hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), which stimulates cell proliferation when oxygen is scarce. At normal oxygen levels, VHL binding marks HIF protein for degradation. When oxygen availability is low, however, VHL no longer undergoes modification and therefore cannot bind to HIF, which allows HIF activation, and hence…
Read More - Peter J. Ratcliffe
…hydroxylation on a molecule called hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) dictates how cells respond to changes in oxygen levels. When the modification is present, HIF is marked for degradation. When absent, HIF persists, and key cellular processes are altered to facilitate adaptation to hypoxic conditions, thereby enabling cells to continue to grow…
Read More…hydroxylation on a molecule called hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) dictates how cells respond to changes in oxygen levels. When the modification is present, HIF is marked for degradation. When absent, HIF persists, and key cellular processes are altered to facilitate adaptation to hypoxic conditions, thereby enabling cells to continue to grow…
Read More - Gregg L. Semenza
…and for his discovery of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), a molecule that is activated by reduced oxygen availability in cells and that plays a critical role in enabling cells to survive in certain disease states. Semenza’s research opened a door for the investigation and development of novel treatments for diseases such…
Read More…and for his discovery of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), a molecule that is activated by reduced oxygen availability in cells and that plays a critical role in enabling cells to survive in certain disease states. Semenza’s research opened a door for the investigation and development of novel treatments for diseases such…
Read More