Like the skin, the airway is ‘bathed’ in ambient oxygen, yet increased expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α has been detected in the bronchial epithelium in COPD.10 More compellingly (since inflammatory mediators also upregulate the expression of HIF),11 the airway epithelium of mice overexpressing the β-epithelial Na+ channel (a model of cystic fibrosis (CF)) stained strongly with the specific hypoxia probe pimonidazole hydrochloride (Hypoxyprobe,12 which binds at a threshold of ≤1.3 kPa O213), confirming that the inflamed airway is a profoundly hypoxic environment. Here, HIF1A is linked to cystic fibrosis.