Hypoxia: the tumor's gateway to progression along the angiogenic pathway

Decreased aerobic (hypoxic) conditions in tumors induce the release of cyto kines that promote vascularization and thereby enhance tumor growth and met astasis. Recent major advances have provided insight into the role hypoxia plays in cancer biology. The domain structure of the hypoxia-inducible fact or 1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) has been elucidated, as has the mechanism by which stabilization of HIF-1 alpha leads to initiation of the transcription of t arget genes involved in growth of blood vessels.