Fetal neurogenesis: breathe HIF you can.

Microvascular circulation creates a supporting niche for neurogenesis through the secretion of angiocrine factors. The emerging concept that energy balance and metabolic status play a role in the modulation of stem cells suggests that oxygen delivery by nearby capillary vascular beds could also regulate neurogenesis. Blood vessel formation and neuron production proceed in a coordinated fashion in the developing cerebral cortex, providing a unique opportunity to test the possibility that oxygen supply regulates cell fate decisions in neurogenic niches. The interesting study by the Carmeliet laboratory yields evidence that this is indeed the case and identifies HIF-1a as the central element.