Using ex vivo approach to simplify the very complicated factors of biomechanical cues in tissue microenvironment, we have recently demonstrated that elevated hydrostatic pressure promotes cancer cell metastasis by stabilizing HIF-1α expression [27], induces profibrotic properties in hepatic stellate cells via the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway [14], activates profibrotic transcription of atrial stromal cells via TGF-β signal pathway [28], and affects lymphocyte activation via complex mechanisms [29]. Here, HIF1A is linked to cancer.