Cited by 461Immune cells in cancerCancer, Hypoxia, and MetabolismMacrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor

Hypoxia-inducible factor 2α regulates macrophage function in mouse models of acute and tumor inflammation

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Imtiyaz, Hongxia Z., Williams, Emily P., Hickey, Michele M., Patel, Shetal A., Durham, Amy C., Yuan, Li-Jun, Hammond, Rachel, Gimotty, Phyllis A. +2 more·2010·Journal of Clinical Investigation

Abstract

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and HIF-2alpha display unique and sometimes opposing activities in regulating cellular energy homeostasis, cell fate decisions, and oncogenesis. Macrophages exposed to hypoxia accumulate both HIF-1alpha and HIF-2alpha, and overexpression of HIF-2alpha in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) is specifically correlated with high-grade human tumors and poor prognosis. However, the precise role of HIF-2alpha during macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses remains unclear. To fully characterize cellular hypoxic adaptations, distinct functions of HIF-1alpha versus HIF-2alpha must be elucidated. We demonstrate here that mice lacking HIF-2alpha in myeloid cells (Hif2aDelta/Delta mice) are resistant to lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxemia and display a marked inability to mount inflammatory responses to cutaneous and peritoneal irritants. Furthermore, HIF-2alpha directly regulated proinflammatory cytokine/chemokine expression in macrophages activated in vitro. Hif2aDelta/Delta mice displayed reduced TAM infiltration in independent murine hepatocellular and colitis-associated colon carcinoma models, and this was associated with reduced tumor cell proliferation and progression. Notably, HIF-2alpha modulated macrophage migration by regulating the expression of the cytokine receptor M-CSFR and the chemokine receptor CXCR4, without altering intracellular ATP levels. Collectively, our data identify HIF-2alpha as an important regulator of innate immunity, suggesting it may be a useful therapeutic target for treating inflammatory disorders and cancer.

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  • Myeloid-specific HIF-1α deletion causes defective glycolysis and ATP generation, impairing myeloid cell motility and function.

    “Myeloid-specific HIF-1α deletion results in defective glycolysis and ATP generation, leading to impairment of myeloid cell motility and function (Fig. 2B) [61,62].”

    From Revisiting the HIF switch in the tumor and its immune microenvironment. (2022) · cites this paper as [62]

    The migration-and-invasion section reports ATP depletion in HIF-1α-deficient macrophages, and the discussion reports reduced migration, inflammation, and bacterial killing after macrophage HIF-1α loss. It also cites a role for HIF-1α in glycolysis in hypoxic cells. But the discussion explicitly says it is unclear how much of the functional impairment results from reduced ATP, so the claim’s causal link is stronger than this source supports. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • HIF-1α or HIF-2α expression in TAMs is associated with tumor progression and/or poor prognosis in multiple tumor types.

    “Both HIF-1α or HIF-2α expression in TAMs have been associated with tumor progression and/or poor prognosis in multiple tumor types, whereas lack of HIF-1α or HIF-2α in TAMs decreases metastasis, cell proliferation, and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 [73–76].”

    From The HIF Axes in Cancer - Angiogenesis, Metabolism and Immune-Modulation (2025) · cites this paper as [76]

    The Figure 10 passage reports that high HIF-2α levels in TAMs correlate with increased tumor grade and vascularity, and that more HIF-2α-expressing TAMs are associated with poor prognosis. The Discussion says HIF-2α is found in TAMs across various human cancers, but it does not establish the claimed association for HIF-1α expression in TAMs. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Lack of HIF-1α or HIF-2α in TAMs decreases metastasis, cell proliferation, and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6.

    “Both HIF-1α or HIF-2α expression in TAMs have been associated with tumor progression and/or poor prognosis in multiple tumor types, whereas lack of HIF-1α or HIF-2α in TAMs decreases metastasis, cell proliferation, and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 [73–76].”

    From The HIF Axes in Cancer - Angiogenesis, Metabolism and Immune-Modulation (2025) · cites this paper as [76]

    The tumor-progression section reports reduced tumor-cell mitosis and compromised progression after myeloid HIF-2α deletion. The cytokine section reports reduced IL-6 secretion from activated HIF-2α-deficient macrophages in vitro, but IL-6 reduction in the tumors is proposed as a possible explanation, not established. The paper does not report reduced metastasis or test HIF-1α deletion in these tumor models; it proposes the latter as future work. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • TAM presence and number directly correlate with prognosis in several cancer types and model systems.

    “Indeed, TAM presence and number has been directly correlated with prognosis in a number of cancer types and model systems [42–44].”
  • Macrophages need HIF2α for cytokine induction.

    “HIF2α is required for cytokine induction in macrophages (Imtiyaz et al., 2010).”

    From Iron Regulatory Proteins Mediate Host Resistance to Salmonella Infection (2015) · cites this paper as Imtiyaz et al., 2010

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Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. [3]3. Stout RD, Suttles J. Functional plasticity of macro- phages: reversible adaptation to changing microen- vironments. J Leukoc Biol. 2004;76(3):509-513.
  2. [27]27. Hu CJ, Wang LY, Chodosh LA, Keith B, Simon MC. Differential roles of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and HIF-2alpha in hypoxic gene regu- lation. Mol Cell Biol. 2003;23(24):9361-9374.
  3. [31]31. Koshiji M, et al. HIF-1alpha induces genetic insta- bility by transcriptionally downregulating MutSal- pha expression. Mol Cell. 2005;17(6):793-803.
  4. [39]39. Cramer T, et al. HIF-1alpha is essential for myeloid cell-mediated inf lammation. Cell. 2003;112(5):645-657.
  5. [40]40. Peyssonnaux C, et al. HIF-1alpha expression regu- lates the bactericidal capacity of phagocytes. J Clin Invest. 2005;115(7):1806-1815.

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Authors
Imtiyaz, H. Z., Williams, E. P., Hickey, M. M., Patel, S. A., Durham, A. C., Yuan, L.-J., Hammond, R., Gimotty, P. A., Keith, B., & Simon, M. C.
Affiliations
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
  • Abramson Cancer Center (US)
Corresponding author
Simon, M. Celeste
Venue
Journal of Clinical Investigation
Published
2010-08-02
Volume
120
Issue
8
Pages
2699-2714
ISSN
0021-9738 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2041418689
Cited by
461
References
116
Citations by year
2026: 17 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 38 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 33 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 29 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 32 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 36 · 2013: 29 · 2012: 32
FWCI
12.51
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Clinical Investigation (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  • Cancer Research Institute
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Directorate for Biological Sciences
  • U.S. Public Health Service (66310)
  • Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immune cells in cancer
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor
Keywords
HIF-2α, HIF-1α, tumor-associated macrophages, macrophage function, hypoxia, innate immunity, endotoxemia, lipopolysaccharide, inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, macrophage migration, M-CSF receptor, CXCR4, hepatocellular carcinoma, tumor inflammation, myeloid-specific knockout
MeSH terms
Endothelial PAS Domain-Containing Protein 1, Acute Disease, Animals, Cell Movement, Disease Models, Animal, Female, Immunity, Innate, Inflammation, Lipopolysaccharides, Macrophages, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Neoplasms, Nitric Oxide, Cytokines, Endotoxemia, Receptors, CXCR4, Mice, Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors, Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins

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