The role of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α on colon cancer progression and metastasis.

Despite advancements in technology and research in clinical oncology, colon cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Hypoxic conditions, characterized by diminished oxygen levels in the tumor microenvironment, have been implicated in the tumorigenesis of various types of cancer. HIF-1α, as a principal hypoxic transcription factor, promotes tumor progression by interacting with multiple molecular pathways and oncogenic functions. Various studies have demonstrated that HIF-1α can promote the growth and development of colon tumor cells by stimulating downstream target genes through multiple mechanisms, such as immune evasion, cancer stem cell enrichment, metastasis, invasion, angiogenesis, and glycolysis. In this review, we comprehensively discuss the mechanisms and functions of HIF-1α that contribute to the growth and progression of colon cancer in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment.