The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to William G. Kaelin Jr., Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe, and Gregg L. Semenza for discovering the molecular machinery that allows cells to sense and adapt to oxygen availability. Their work identified the HIF (hypoxia-inducible factor) pathway, which acts as a "thermostat" for oxygen in the body.
Identification of HIF-1α: Gregg Semenza discovered the protein complex HIF-1α, which accumulates in cells when oxygen levels are low (hypoxia) but is rapidly destroyed when oxygen is plentiful.
The Role of VHL: William Kaelin found that the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) protein is responsible for labeling HIF-1α for destruction. When oxygen is present, VHL binds to HIF-1α to degrade it; without oxygen, this binding fails, allowing HIF levels to rise and activate survival genes.
Ubiquity of the Mechanism: Together with Sir Peter Ratcliffe, they proved that this oxygen-sensing system is present in virtually all animal cells, not just specialized ones like those in the kidneys.
Oxygen deficiency triggers a fundamental shift in cellular behavior, affecting both normal physiology and the progression of many diseases:
Disease Development: Hypoxia is identified as a primary underlying factor in a wide range of conditions, including cancer, hypertension, diabetes, dementia, and chronic kidney failure.
Cancer Progression: In tumors, hypoxia stimulates angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels) to supply the cancer with nutrients, helping it grow aggressively and spread (metastasis).
Metabolic Changes: Cells lacking oxygen switch their metabolism to glycolysis to generate energy without oxygen, which can further drive disease progression.
Organ Adaptation: Hypoxia triggers the production of erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone that increases red blood cell production to boost the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity.
Immune System: Inadequate oxygen can compromise the immune system’s ability to function optimally, paving the way for further ailments.
How cells sense and adapt to oxygen - This video provides a clear visual explanation of how the HIF protein regulates gene expression in response to different oxygen levels, helping to illustrate the Nobel Prize-winning discovery.
Oxygen deficiency triggers a fundamental shift in cellular behavior, affecting both normal physiology and the progression of many diseases:
Disease Development: Hypoxia is identified as a primary underlying factor in a wide range of conditions, including cancer, hypertension, diabetes, dementia, and chronic kidney failure.
Cancer Progression: In tumors, hypoxia stimulates angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels) to supply the cancer with nutrients, helping it grow aggressively and spread (metastasis).
Metabolic Changes: Cells lacking oxygen switch their metabolism to glycolysis to generate energy without oxygen, which can further drive disease progression.
Organ Adaptation: Hypoxia triggers the production of erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone that increases red blood cell production to boost the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity.
Immune System: Inadequate oxygen can compromise the immune system’s ability to function optimally, paving the way for further ailments.
Toxin Accumulation: Cellular toxins build up significantly.
Excess Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS): Large amounts of reactive oxygen free radicals are generated.
Genetic Damage: These free radicals damage cellular DNA, amplifying their harmful impact.
Increased Mutation Rates: The likelihood of genetic mutations — and therefore cancer development — rises.
Promotion of Tumor Angiogenesis: Hypoxia stimulates the formation of new blood vessels that feed tumors, accelerating their growth.
Malignant Transformation: Oxygen and nutrient deprivation can drive benign cancer cells to evolve into more aggressive, malignant forms.
Enhanced Invasiveness: Cancer cells become more capable of invading surrounding tissues.
Facilitated Metastasis: The more severe the oxygen deficiency, the higher the probability that cancer cells will spread to distant sites.
Greater Drug Resistance: Cancer cells become increasingly resistant to therapeutic treatments.
The video discusses the central idea from the book 《氧氣人生 / Oxygen Life》, which argues that many chronic diseases originate from long‑term, low‑grade oxygen deficiency (chronic hypoxia). The host frames this as an accessible, low‑cost approach to cancer prevention and overall health.
Chronic hypoxia as the root of disease
The book claims that insufficient oxygen at the cellular level contributes to a wide range of illnesses, including cancer.
Oxygen as a “biocancer prevention therapy”
The host highlights the idea that improving oxygen supply in the body may help reduce cancer risk, presenting it as a 2025 must‑learn health concept.
Nobel Prize connection
The video references Nobel Prize–winning research related to how cells sense and adapt to oxygen levels, using it to support the book’s claims
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