PDK1 and neoplasm: Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is a master transcriptional regulator that responds to a hypoxic environment and induces the transcription of genes, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1), which promote vascularization and tumor cell survival [15].