In addition to its important role in the Warburg effect, HK2 can directly interact with HIF-1α, and this mortalin-mediated interaction, occurring at the outer membranes of mitochondria, modulates the voltage-dependent anion-selective channel 1 (VDAC1) activity to preserve hypoxia-stressed cancer cells from apoptosis [40]. Here, HSPA9 is linked to cancer.