HIFs

 Hypoxia contributes significantly to the pathophysiology of major categories of human disease, including myocardial and cerebral ischemia, cancer, pulmonary hypertension, congenital heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

HIFs (Hypoxia-inducible factors) respond to changes in available oxygen, especially hypoxia. They are critical for mainting oxygen homeostasis and preventing hypoxia. They are also vital to development. In mammals, deletion of the HIF-1 genes results in perinatal death. HIF-1 has been shown to be vital to chondrocyte survival, allowing the cells to adapt to low-oxygen conditions within the growth plates of bones.

Image: Factor Inhibiting HIF-1/FIH staining of rat brain tissue (dilution: 1:100).