Wu Qi-Sheng, Liu Pei-Shen, Yang Cui-Ping, Chen Yong-Bin
Medical Faculty, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China.
Kunming Institute of Zoology, CAS, Kunming 650223, China.
Sichuan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban. 2021 Jan;52(1):50-56. doi: 10.12182/20210160504.
Historically, the Cambrian explosion was a major life evolution event caused by changes of natural environmental oxygen concentration. The use of oxygen was part of the basic survival instinct of higher life, which evolved a complex regulation system in response to variant levels of oxygen concentration. Hypoxia is one of the typical environmental characteristics in plateau areas. After long-term natural selection in hypoxic conditions, numerous species living in plateau areas have evolved unique mechanisms adapted to hypoxia. Recent studies have found that there are some similarities in adaptation to hypoxia between the animals in highland and different types of human solid tumor cells. Herein, we will summarize recent findings about the hypoxia adaptation evolution in high-altitude animals and the characteristics of hypoxic solid tumors, especially the reactive oxygen species responses in hypoxic solid tumors. We believe that deciphering the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in hypoxia adaptation in highland will facilitate the identification of new genes or biomarkers critical for research on hypoxic solid tumors in the future.
从历史角度来看，寒武纪大爆发是由自然环境氧气浓度变化引发的一次重大生命进化事件。氧气的利用是高等生命基本生存本能的一部分，高等生命针对氧气浓度的变化进化出了一套复杂的调节系统。缺氧是高原地区典型的环境特征之一。在缺氧条件下经过长期的自然选择，众多生活在高原地区的物种进化出了适应缺氧的独特机制。最近的研究发现，高原动物与不同类型的人类实体瘤细胞在适应缺氧方面存在一些相似之处。在此，我们将总结关于高原动物缺氧适应进化以及缺氧实体瘤特征的最新研究发现，尤其是缺氧实体瘤中的活性氧反应。我们认为，解读高原缺氧适应所涉及的潜在分子机制将有助于未来鉴定对缺氧实体瘤研究至关重要的新基因或生物标志物。
