This raises the intriguing possibility that STI-1 may be a downstream mediator for the myriad of hypoxic responses triggered by HIF-1α (Semenza, 2003; Taie et al, 2009), especially in relation to hypoxic preconditioning-induced cytoprotection against stroke (Giusti & Fiszer de Plazas, 2012; Taie et al, 2009; Valsecchi et al, 2011), heart failure (Cai et al, 2008; Eckle et al, 2008; Loor & Schumacker, 2008; Rane et al, 2009), liver failure (Knudsen et al, 2011), kidney failure (Weidemann et al, 2008; Zhang et al, 2011) and so forth. This evidence concerns the gene STIP1 and heart failure.