• Lihong Fan, Jia Li, Zefeng Yu, Xiaoqian Dang, and Kunzheng Wang.
• Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xiwu Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, China.
• Biomed Res Int. 2014 Jan 1;2014:239356.

AbstractHypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are oxygen-dependent transcriptional activators that play crucial roles in angiogenesis, erythropoiesis, energy metabolism, and cell fate decisions. The group of enzymes that can catalyse the hydroxylation reaction of HIF-1 is prolyl hydroxylase domain proteins (PHDs). PHD inhibitors (PHIs) activate the HIF pathway by preventing degradation of HIF- α via inhibiting PHDs. Osteogenesis and angiogenesis are tightly coupled during bone repair and regeneration. Numerous studies suggest that HIFs and their target gene, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), are critical regulators of angiogenic-osteogenic coupling. In this brief perspective, we review current studies about the HIF pathway and its role in bone repair and regeneration, as well as the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved. Additionally, we briefly discuss the therapeutic manipulation of HIFs and VEGF in bone repair and bone tumours. This review will expand our knowledge of biology of HIFs, PHDs, PHD inhibitors, and bone regeneration, and it may also aid the design of novel therapies for accelerating bone repair and regeneration or inhibiting bone tumours.

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