Our characterisation of the temporospatial expression patterns of HIF-1α protein during the pathogenesis of human gastric adenocarcinoma are in line with earlier studies showing HIF-1α protein expression in the majority of human gastric cancer samples (Urano et al, 2006; Cabuk et al, 2007; Griffiths et al, 2007). Here, HIF1A is linked to gastric cancer.