Oxygen availability and metabolic reprogramming in cancer

Hypoxia and dysregulated metabolism are defining features of solid tumors. How cancer cells adapt to low O-2 has been illuminated by numerous studies, with reprogrammed metabolism being one of the most important mechanisms. This metabolic reprogramming not only promotes cancer cell plasticity, but also provides novel insights for treatment strategies. As the most studied O-2 sensor, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is regarded as an important regulator of hypoxia-induced transcriptional responses. This minireview will summarize our current understanding of hypoxia-induced changes in cancer cell metabolism, with an initial focus on HIF-mediated effects, and will highlight how these metabolic alterations affect malignant phenotypes.