Myeloid Hypoxia-Inducible Factors in Inflammatory Diseases

Hypoxia inducible factors (HIF1 and HIF2) have emerged as central regulators of the activity of myeloid cells at inflammatory sites where O-2 is frequently limited. Novel insights in the field have revealed that the expression of HIFs by myeloid cells is not exclusively induced by hypoxia but also in response to central inflammatory mediators independently of O-2 shortage. This has substantially elevated the biological significance of HIFs in the context of inflammatory diseases. As a consequence, the loss of HIF1 or HIF2 in myeloid cells specifically compromises some of the processes driven by myeloid cells, such as bactericidal activity and myeloid invasion, as well as inflammation-associated detrimental consequences.