Regulating the Expression of HIF-1α or lncRNA: Potential Directions for Cancer Therapy

Minghui Zhang; Yu Zhang; Yubo Ding; Jialu Huang; Jingwei Yao; Zhuoyi Xie; Yufan Lv; Jianhong Zuo

doi:10.3390/cells11182811

Regulating the Expression of HIF-1α or lncRNA: Potential Directions for Cancer Therapy

Cells. 2022 Sep 8;11(18):2811. doi: 10.3390/cells11182811.

Authors

Minghui Zhang¹, Yu Zhang¹, Yubo Ding², Jialu Huang¹, Jingwei Yao², Zhuoyi Xie¹, Yufan Lv², Jianhong Zuo^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ The Laboratory of Translational Medicine, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China.
² The Affiliated Nanhua Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421002, China.
³ The Third Affliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421900, China.

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that tumors under a hypoxic environment can induce an important hypoxia-responsive element, hypoxia-induced factor-1α (HIF-1α), which can increase tumor migration, invasion, and metastatic ability by promoting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in tumor cells. Currently, with the deeper knowledge of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), more and more functions of lncRNAs have been discovered. HIF-1α can regulate hypoxia-responsive lncRNAs under hypoxic conditions, and changes in the expression level of lncRNAs can regulate the production of EMT transcription factors and signaling pathway transduction, thus promoting EMT progress. In conclusion, this review summarizes the regulation of the EMT process by HIF-1α and lncRNAs and discusses their relationship with tumorigenesis. Since HIF-1α plays an important role in tumor progression, we also summarize the current drugs that inhibit tumor progression by modulating HIF-1α.

Keywords: EMT; HIF-1α; HIF-1α inhibitors; hypoxia; lncRNAs.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
Humans
Hypoxia
Neoplasms* / genetics
Neoplasms* / metabolism
Neoplasms* / therapy
RNA, Long Noncoding* / genetics
RNA, Long Noncoding* / metabolism
Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

RNA, Long Noncoding
Transcription Factors

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Key Research Program from the Science and Technology Department of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China (2019BFH02012); the Key Research Program of Hunan Health Committee (20201909); the Program of Hengyang Science and Technology Bureau (2017-1, 2020-67); the National Natural Science Foundation of China (8217114243); The 4310 Program of Hengyang Medical College, University of South China (20224310NHYCG12).