Molecular mechanisms of oxygen sensing in malignant brain tumours: pro- and antitumourigenic effects

Regions of low oxygen tension are common findings in malignant tumors being associated with increased frequency of tumor invasion and metastasis. Indeed, the ability to initiate homeostatic responses and adapt to hypoxia, e.g. by induction of angiogenesis, represents an important and crucial aspect in solid tumor growth. A significant advance in our understanding of the hypoxia response stems from the discovery of the hypoxia inducible transcription factor HIF-1á and HIF-2á which act as key regulators of hypoxia-induced gene expression. Interestingly, however, the HIF pathway is known to encompass tumor growth p…