Pharmacological Activation of the HIF Pathway Exerts Distinct Proliferative Effects in MDA‐MB‐231 and MCF7 cells**

Abstract

Hypoxia-mimicking agents (HMAs) exert distinct proliferative effect on breast cancer cells depending on the subtype. Pharmacological HIF activation via PHD inhibition enhances the proliferation rate of triple negative MDA-MB-231 cells but inhibits proliferation of receptor-positive MCF7 cells. Therefore, clinical PHD inhibitors should be used with caution as they may be a double-edged sword, acting as anticancer agents or tumorigenic drivers depending on the breast cancer subtype.