Cancer Stem Cells And Hypoxia-Inducible Factors (Review)

Cancer stem cells (CSCs), also known as tumor-initiating cells, are a subpopulation of tumor cells that exhibit properties similar to those of normal stem cells. Oxygen is an important regulator of cellular metabolism; hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) mediate metabolic switches in cells in hypoxic environments. Hypoxia clearly has the potential to exert a significant effect on the maintenance and evolution of CSCs. Both HIF-1 and HIF-2 may contribute to the regulation of cellular adaptation to hypoxia and resistance to cancer therapies. This review provides an overview of the roles of HIFs in CSCs. HIF-1 and HIF-2 have significant prognostic and predictive value in the clinic and the concept of personalized medicine should be applied in designing clinical trials for HIF inhibitors.