Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α and Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-2α Are Expressed in Kaposi Sarcoma and Modulated by Insulin-like Growth Factor-I

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Purpose: Neoangiogenesis is essential for tumor development. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), a transcriptional factor composed of two subunits (α and β), plays a key role in this process, activating proangiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The HIF α subunits are critically regulated by oxygen and are also modulated by growth factors. Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a highly vascular tumor that releases large amounts of VEGF and for which we have recently described an essential role for the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system. We therefore investigated the expression of HIF α subunits in biopsies from KS tumors and their modulation by IGF-I in KSIMM, a KS cell line.