Ginsenoside potential targeting hypoxia-inducible factor-1α as promising therapeutics for cancer: a review

Ginseng is a Chinese medicine known for its tonic effect. Numerous studies have shown that ginseng exerts therapeutic effects on cancer cells. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is an important transcriptional regulator in response to a hypoxic environment and is crucial in the adaptation of tumor cells to the hypoxic environment. During tumor growth, HIF-1α regulates the activity of various transcription factors and their downstream molecules by modulating various biological processes, including cell proliferation, growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Therefore, high HIF-1α expression may be closely associated with poor prognosis in patients with various solid tumors. Pharmacological targeting of HIF-1α is considered a therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. To investigate the molecular mechanism of ginseng’s effect on cancer through HIF-1α, a more detailed and in-depth analysis is needed. In this review, we present ginseng as a HIF-1α inhibitor that can inhibit tumor development in vivo and in vitro cancer models. These results may clarify the relationship between HIF-1α and ginseng in cancer treatment.