VHL and cancer: Moreover, in 2019, William G. Kaelin Jr, Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe, and Gregg L. Semenza were awarded the Nobel Prize because of their contribution in the research of protein VHL-1, which is a double-edged sword; while being essential for embryonic development, oxygen balance, and other processes, it is also a culprit for promoting cancer occurrence, proliferation, and metastasis.