HIF1A and glomerulosclerosis: HIF-1α is an important player for the development of renal diseases but its role is controversial; whereas it has a protective role promoting cellular adaptation to hypoxia or angiogenesis, it can exacerbate fibrosis in tubular epithelial cells, promote in vivo glomerulosclerosis and mesangial renal proliferation, and contribute to glomerular injury [22,23,24].