echinomycin and 3-(5--hydroxymethyl-2--furyl)-1-benzylindazole

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), as a transcription factor, plays an important role in the adaptation to hypoxic microenvironment within tumors. It can induce a series of genes transcription that participate in angiogenesis, glucose metabolism, cell proliferation, and cell migration/invasion. Thus HIF-1 not only allows cancer cells to survive in hypoxic microenvironment, but also makes the tumor more aggressive. Moreover, HIF-1 also induces tumors to acquire resistance to chemo-/radio-therapy, and is related to poor prognosis. HIF-1 emerges gradually as a potential target to develop new antitumor drugs. This paper reviews recent progress in this field.

Topics: Amphotericin B; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Echinomycin; Humans; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1; Indazoles; Sirolimus; Topotecan; Transcription, Genetic