Research progress on hypoxia-inducible factor 1α in targeted therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Novel therapeutic approaches targeting key genes and regulatory molecules of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have gradually been carried out in clinical practice. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), as a critical factor for hepatocellular carcinoma cells to adapt to the hypoxic microenvironment, mediates changes in the transcription of many genes. HIF has a wide range of target genes and can promote metabolic reprogramming, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis, and immune escape of cancer cells by regulating various signaling pathways. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), as the main member of the HIF family, can provide new ideas and insights for exploring potential targets for HCC treatment.