Collectively, these observations suggest that HIF-induced–enhanced glycolysis and VEGF expression as well as altered autophagy in GSCs may represent selective adaptations that are necessary for their survival under stressful conditions, including in a hypoxic microenvironment and nutrient deprivation, rapid tumour neovascularization and re-oxygenation and progression to locally invasive disease states. Here, VEGFA is linked to neoplasm.