Twist: a new link from hypoxia to fibrosis

Sun et al. demonstrate that hypoxia causes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition by activating Twist, a transcription factor known to mediate both acquisition of a mesenchymal phenotype and resistance to apoptosis in cancer cells. This study provides clues as to how hypoxia and transforming growth factor-beta can collaborate to drive renal fibrogenesis. Kidney International (2009) 75, 1255-1256. doi:10.1038/ki.2009.102