Advances of HIF-1α/glycolysis axis in non-small cell lung cancer (Review)

It is now widely accepted that there is a specific metabolic pattern in tumor cells termed the Warburg effect, which causes tumor cells to tend to use glycolysis for energy. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) 1 alpha is involved in these metabolic patterns as a key molecule promoting glycolysis. In addition, there is now increasing evidence that targeting this metabolic pattern of the tumor to cut off the energy source of the tumor tissue is an effective therapeutic modality. However, different molecules are involved in the regulation of the HIF-1 alpha/glycolysis axis in different tumor tissues. This review focused on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to elucidate the currently known signaling pathways centered on the HIF-1 alpha/glycolysis axis and to identify the key molecules that can serve as therapeutic targets. It also summarized the effective methods of treatment of NSCLC by inhibition of HIF-1 alpha/glycolysis that have emerged in recent years.