HIF-1α and growth plate development: what we really know

Adaptation to low oxygen tension or hypoxia is a critical event in development and tissue homeostasis. Studies by us and others have shown that the fetal growth plate is an avascular tissue with a gradient of oxygenation, and the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) is essential for its development. In this brief review, we will summarize our current understanding of the role of HIF-1 alpha in fetal growth plate development, and we will discuss yet unanswered questions in the field of hypoxia and endochondral bone formation.