Human Adipose Stromal Cells (ASC) for the Regeneration of Injured Cartilage Display Genetic Stability after In Vitro Culture Expansion

Mesenchymal stromal cells are emerging as an extremely promising therapeutic agent for tissue regeneration due to their multi-potency, immune-modulation and secretome activities, but safety remains one of the main concerns, particularly when in vitro manipulation, such as cell expansion, is performed before clinical application. Indeed, it is well documented that in vitro expansion reduces replicative potential and some multi-potency and promotes cell senescence. Furthermore, during in vitro aging there is a decrease in DNA synthesis and repair efficiency thus leading to DNA damage accumulation and possibly inducing genomic instability. The European Research Project ADIPOA aims at validating an innovative cell-based therapy where autologous adipose stromal cells (ASCs) are injected in the diseased articulation to activate regeneration of the cartilage. The primary objective of this paper was to assess the safety of cultured ASCs. The maintenance of genetic integrity was evaluated during in vitro culture by karyotype and microsatellite instability analysis. In addition, RT-PCR array-based evaluation of the expression of genes related to DNA damage signaling pathways was performed. Finally, the senescence and replicative potential of cultured cells was evaluated by telomere length and telomerase activity assessment, whereas anchorage-independent clone development was tested in vitro by soft agar growth. We found that cultured ASCs do not show genetic alterations and replicative senescence during the period of observation, nor anchorage-independent growth, supporting an argument for the safety of ASCs for clinical use.     

Bone regeneration in a rabbit ulna defect model: use of allogeneic adipose-derivedstem cells with low immunogenicity

Tissue engineering provides new potential treatments for the repair of bone defects. Bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) represent an attractive cell source for therapeutic applications involving tissue engineering, although disadvantages, such as pain of harvest and low proliferation efficiency, are major limitations to the application of BMSCs in the clinic. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) with their multilineage potential and satisfactory proliferation potential can be induced into the osteogenic lineage in vitro and can be anchored onto suitable scaffolds as seed cells to repair bone defects successfully in an autologous setting. Previous studies have indicated that both undifferentiated BMSCs and ASCs exhibit immunosuppression and immunoprivilege properties. We compare the immuno-function of undifferentiated and osteo-differentiated ASCs in vitro and explore the feasibility of applying allogeneic ASCs to the repair of ulnar bone defects in the rabbit model. Our study demonstrates that allogeneic osteogenic differentiated ASCs maintain low immunogenicity and negative immunomodulation. The allogeneic osteogenic differentiated ASCs combined with demineralized bone matrix successfully regenerate ulnar bone defects in rabbits without immunosuppressive therapies.     

Adipose-derived stem cells alleviate osteoporosis by enchancing osteogenesis and inhibiting adipogenesis in a rabbit model

Background aimsOsteoporosis (OP) is characterized by a reduction in bone quality, which is associated with inadequacies in bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs). As an alternative cell source to BMSCs, adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) have been investigated for bone repair because of their osteogenic potential and self-renewal capability. Nevertheless, whether autologous ASCs can be used to promote bone regeneration under osteoporotic conditions has not been elucidated.MethodsThe OP rabbit model was established by means of bilateral ovariectomy (OVX). Both BMSCs and ASCs were harvested from OVX rabbits and expanded in vitro. The effects of osteogenic-induced ASCs on the in vitro adipogenic and osteogenic capabilities of BMSCs were evaluated. Autologous ASCs were then encapsulated by calcium alginate gel and transplanted into the distal femurs of OVX rabbits (n = 12). Hydrogel without loading cells was injected into the contralateral femurs as a control. Animals were killed for investigation at 12 weeks after transplantation.ResultsOsteogenic-induced ASCs were able to promote osteogenesis and inhibit adipogenesis of osteoporotic BMSCs through activation of the bone morphogenetic protein 2/bone morphogenetic protein receptor type IB signal pathway. Local bone mineral density began to increase at 8 weeks after ASC transplantation (P < 0.05). At 12 weeks, micro–computed tomography and histological evaluation revealed more new bone formation in the cell-treated femurs than in the control group (P < 0.05).ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that ASCs could stimulate proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in vitro and enhance bone regeneration in vivo, which suggests that autologous osteogenic-induced ASCs might be useful to alleviate OP temporally.     

Novel DNA mismatch-repair activity involving YB-1 in human mitochondria

Maintenance of the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) is essential for proper cellular function. The accumulation of damage and mutations in the mtDNA leads to diseases, cancer, and aging. Mammalian mitochondria have proficient base excision repair, but the existence of other DNA repair pathways is still unclear. Deficiencies in DNA mismatch repair (MMR), which corrects base mismatches and small loops, are associated with DNA microsatellite instability, accumulation of mutations, and cancer. MMR proteins have been identified in yeast and coral mitochondria; however, MMR proteins and function have not yet been detected in human mitochondria. Here we show that human mitochondria have a robust mismatch-repair activity, which is distinct from nuclear MMR. Key nuclear MMR factors were not detected in mitochondria, and similar mismatch-binding activity was observed in mitochondrial extracts from cells lacking MSH2, suggesting distinctive pathways for nuclear and mitochondrial MMR. We identified the repair factor YB-1 as a key candidate for a mitochondrial mismatch-binding protein. This protein localizes to mitochondria in human cells, and contributes significantly to the mismatch-binding and mismatch-repair activity detected in HeLa mitochondrial extracts, which are significantly decreased when the intracellular levels of YB-1 are diminished. Moreover, YB-1 depletion in cells increases mitochondrial DNA mutagenesis. Our results show that human mitochondria contain a functional MMR repair pathway in which YB-1 participates, likely in the mismatch-binding and recognition steps.     

Stromal stem cells from adipose tissue and bone marrow of age‐matched female donors display distinct immunophenotypic profiles

Adipose tissue is composed of lipid‐filled mature adipocytes and a heterogeneous stromal vascular fraction (SVF) population of cells. Similarly, the bone marrow (BM) is composed of multiple cell types including adipocytes, hematopoietic, osteoprogenitor, and stromal cells necessary to support hematopoiesis. Both adipose and BM contain a population of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells with the potential to differentiate into multiple lineages, including adipogenic, chondrogenic, and osteogenic cells, depending on the culture conditions. In this study we have shown that human adipose‐derived stem cells (ASCs) and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) populations display a common expression profile for many surface antigens, including CD29, CD49c, CD147, CD166, and HLA‐abc. Nevertheless, significant differences were noted in the expression of CD34 and its related protein, PODXL, CD36, CD 49f, CD106, and CD146. Furthermore, ASCs displayed more pronounced adipogenic differentiation capability relative to BMSC based on Oil Red staining (7‐fold vs. 2.85‐fold induction). In contrast, no difference between the stem cell types was detected for osteogenic differentiation based on Alizarin Red staining. Analysis by RT‐PCR demonstrated that both the ASC and BMSC differentiated adipocytes and osteoblast displayed a significant upregulation of lineage‐specific mRNAs relative to the undifferentiated cell populations; no significant differences in fold mRNA induction was noted between ASCs and BMSCs. In conclusion, these results demonstrate human ASCs and BMSCs display distinct immunophenotypes based on surface positivity and expression intensity as well as differences in adipogenic differentiation. The findings support the use of both human ASCs and BMSCs for clinical regenerative medicine. J. Cell. Physiol. 226: 843–851, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Selective oxidative stress induces dual damage to telomeres and mitochondria in human T cells

Oxidative stress caused by excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) accelerates telomere erosion and mitochondrial injury, leading to impaired cellular functions and cell death. Whether oxidative stress‐mediated telomere erosion induces mitochondrial injury, or vice versa, in human T cells—the major effectors of host adaptive immunity against infection and malignancy—is poorly understood due to the pleiotropic effects of ROS. Here we employed a novel chemoptogenetic tool that selectively produces a single oxygen (¹O₂) only at telomeres or mitochondria in Jurkat T cells. We found that targeted ¹O₂ production at telomeres triggered not only telomeric DNA damage but also mitochondrial dysfunction, resulting in T cell apoptotic death. Conversely, targeted ¹O₂ formation at mitochondria induced not only mitochondrial injury but also telomeric DNA damage, leading to cellular crisis and apoptosis. Targeted oxidative stress at either telomeres or mitochondria increased ROS production, whereas blocking ROS formation during oxidative stress reversed the telomeric injury, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cellular apoptosis. Notably, the X‐ray repair cross‐complementing protein 1 (XRCC1) in the base excision repair (BER) pathway and multiple mitochondrial proteins in other cellular pathways were dysregulated by the targeted oxidative stress. By confining singlet ¹O₂ formation to a single organelle, this study suggests that oxidative stress induces dual injury in T cells via crosstalk between telomeres and mitochondria. Further identification of these oxidation pathways may offer a novel approach to preserve mitochondrial functions, protect telomere integrity, and maintain T cell survival, which can be exploited to combat various immune aging‐associated diseases.     

Beyond base excision repair: an evolving picture of mitochondrial DNA repair

Mitochondria are highly specialised organelles required for key cellular processes including ATP production through cellular respiration and controlling cell death via apoptosis. Unlike other organelles, mitochondria contain their own DNA genome which encodes both protein and RNA required for cellular respiration. Each cell may contain hundreds to thousands of copies of the mitochondrial genome, which is essential for normal cellular function – deviation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number is associated with cellular ageing and disease. Furthermore, mtDNA lesions can arise from both endogenous or exogenous sources and must either be tolerated or corrected to preserve mitochondrial function. Importantly, replication of damaged mtDNA can lead to stalling and introduction of mutations or genetic loss, mitochondria have adapted mechanisms to repair damaged DNA. These mechanisms rely on nuclear-encoded DNA repair proteins that are translocated into the mitochondria.Despite the presence of many known nuclear DNA repair proteins being found in the mitochondrial proteome, it remains to be established which DNA repair mechanisms are functional in mammalian mitochondria. Here, we summarise the existing and emerging research, alongside examining proteomic evidence, demonstrating that mtDNA damage can be repaired using Base Excision Repair (BER), Homologous Recombination (HR) and Microhomology-mediated End Joining (MMEJ). Critically, these repair mechanisms do not operate in isolation and evidence for interplay between pathways and repair associated with replication is discussed. Importantly, characterising non-canonical functions of key proteins and understanding the bespoke pathways used to tolerate, repair or bypass DNA damage will be fundamental in fully understanding the causes of mitochondrial genome mutations and mitochondrial dysfunction.     

In Situ Normoxia Enhances Survival and Proliferation Rate of Human Adipose Tissue-Derived Stromal Cells without Increasing the Risk of Tumourigenesis

Adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ASCs) natively reside in a relatively low-oxygen tension (i.e., hypoxic) microenvironment in human body. Low oxygen tension (i.e., in situ normoxia), has been known to enhance the growth and survival rate of ASCs, which, however, may lead to the risk of tumourigenesis. Here, we investigated the tumourigenic potential of ASCs under their physiological condition to ensure their safe use in regenerative therapy. Human ASCs isolated from subcutaneous fat were cultured in atmospheric O₂ concentration (21% O₂) or in situ normoxia (2% O₂). We found that ASCs retained their surface markers, tri-lineage differentiation potential, and self-renewal properties under in situ normoxia without altering their morphology. In situ normoxia displayed a higher proliferation and viability of ASCs with less DNA damage as compared to atmospheric O₂ concentration. Moreover, low oxygen tension significantly up-regulated VEGF and bFGF mRNA expression and protein secretion while reducing the expression level of tumour suppressor genes p16, p21, p53, and pRb. However, there were no significant differences in ASCs telomere length and their relative telomerase activity when cultured at different oxygen concentrations. Collectively, even with high proliferation and survival rate, ASCs have a low tendency of developing tumour under in situ normoxia. These results suggest 2% O₂ as an ideal culture condition for expanding ASCs efficiently while maintaining their characteristics.     

Mitochondrial genome depletion in human liver cells abolishes bile acid-induced apoptosis: Role of the Akt/mTOR survival pathway and Bcl-2 family proteins

Acute accumulation of bile acids in hepatocytes may cause cell death. However, during long-term exposure due to prolonged cholestasis, hepatocytes may develop a certain degree of chemoresistance to these compounds. Because mitochondrial adaptation to persistent oxidative stress may be involved in this process, here we have investigated the effects of complete mitochondrial genome depletion on the response to bile acid-induced hepatocellular injury. A subline (Rho) of human hepatoma SK-Hep-1 cells totally depleted of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was obtained, and bile acid-induced concentration-dependent activation of apoptosis/necrosis and survival signaling pathways was studied. In the absence of changes in intracellular ATP content, Rho cells were highly resistant to bile acid-induced apoptosis and partially resistant to bile acid-induced necrosis. In Rho cells, both basal and bile acid-induced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion, was decreased. Bile acid-induced proapoptotic signals were also decreased, as evidenced by a reduction in the expression ratios Bax-α/Bcl-2, Bcl-xS/Bcl-2, and Bcl-xS/Bcl-xL. This was mainly due to a downregulation of Bax-α and Bcl-xS. Moreover, in these cells the Akt/mTOR pathway was constitutively activated in a ROS-independent manner and remained similarly activated in the presence of bile acid treatment. In contrast, ERK1/2 activation was constitutively reduced and was not activated by incubation with bile acids. In conclusion, these results suggest that impaired mitochondrial function associated with mtDNA alterations, which may occur in liver cells during prolonged cholestasis, may activate mechanisms of cell survival accounting for an enhanced resistance of hepatocytes to bile acid-induced apoptosis.     

Overlapping contributions of Msh1p and putative recombination proteins Cce1p, Din7p, and Mhr1p in large-scale recombination and genome sorting events in the mitochondrial genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The mechanisms that govern mutation avoidance in the mitochondrial genome, though believed to be numerous, are poorly understood. The identification of individual genes has implicated mismatch repair and several recombination pathways in maintaining the fidelity and structural stability of mitochondrial DNA. However, the majority of genes in these pathways have not been identified and the interactions between different pathways have not been extensively studied. Additionally, the multicopy presence of the mitochondrial genome affects the occurrence and persistence of mutant phenotypes, making mitochondrial DNA transmission and sorting important factors affecting mutation accumulation. We present new evidence that the putative recombination genes CCE1, DIN7, and MHR1 have overlapping function with the mismatch repair homolog MSH1 in point mutation avoidance and suppression of aberrant recombination events. In addition, we demonstrate a novel role for Msh1p in mtDNA transmission, a role not predicted by studies of its nuclear homologs.     

Mitochondrial transfer from bone-marrow-derived stromal cells to pulmonary alveoli protects against acute lung injury

Bone marrow-derived stromal cells (BMSCs) protect against acute lung injury (ALI). To determine the role of BMSC mitochondria in this protection, we airway-instilled mice first with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and then with either mouse BMSCs (mBMSCs) or human BMSCs (hBMSCs). Live optical studies revealed that the mBMSCs formed connexin 43 (Cx43)-containing gap junctional channels (GJCs) with the alveolar epithelia in these mice, releasing mitochondria-containing microvesicles that the epithelia engulfed. The presence of BMSC-derived mitochondria in the epithelia was evident optically, as well as by the presence of human mitochondrial DNA in mouse lungs instilled with hBMSCs. The mitochondrial transfer resulted in increased alveolar ATP concentrations. LPS-induced ALI, as indicated by alveolar leukocytosis and protein leak, inhibition of surfactant secretion and high mortality, was markedly abrogated by the instillation of wild-type mBMSCs but not of mutant, GJC-incompetent mBMSCs or mBMSCs with dysfunctional mitochondria. This is the first evidence, to our knowledge, that BMSCs protect against ALI by restituting alveolar bioenergetics through Cx43-dependent alveolar attachment and mitochondrial transfer.     

Consumption of oxygen: a mitochondrial-generated progression signal of advanced cancer

Changes in mitochondrial genome such as mutation, deletion and depletion are common in cancer and can determine advanced phenotype of cancer; however, detailed mechanisms have not been elucidated. We observed that loss of mitochondrial genome reversibly induced overexpression and activation of proto-oncogenic Ras, especially K-Ras 4A, responsible for the activation of AKT and ERK leading to advanced phenotype of prostate and breast cancer. Ras activation was induced by the overexpression of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR), the rate-limiting enzyme of the mevalonate pathway. Hypoxia is known to induce proteasomal degradation of HMGR. Well differentiated prostate and breast cancer cells with high mitochondrial DNA content consumed a large amount of oxygen and induced hypoxia. Loss of mitochondrial genome reduced oxygen consumption and increased in oxygen concentration in the cells. The hypoxic-to-normoxic shift led to the overexpression of HMGR through inhibiting proteasomal degradation. Therefore, reduction of mitochondrial genome content induced overexpression of HMGR through hypoxic to normoxic shift and subsequently the endogenous induction of the mevalonate pathway activated Ras that mediates advanced phenotype. Reduction of mitochondrial genome content was associated with the aggressive phenotype of prostate cancer in vitro cell line model and tissue specimens in vivo. Our results elucidate a coherent mechanism that directly links the mitochondrial genome with the advanced progression of the disease.     

DNA polymerase β: A missing link of the base excision repair machinery in mammalian mitochondria

Mitochondrial genome integrity is fundamental to mammalian cell viability. Since mitochondrial DNA is constantly under attack from oxygen radicals released during ATP production, DNA repair is vital in removing oxidatively generated lesions in mitochondrial DNA, but the presence of a strong base excision repair system has not been demonstrated. Here, we addressed the presence of such a system in mammalian mitochondria involving the primary base lesion repair enzyme DNA polymerase (pol) β. Pol β was localized to mammalian mitochondria by electron microscopic-immunogold staining, immunofluorescence co-localization and biochemical experiments. Extracts from purified mitochondria exhibited base excision repair activity that was dependent on pol β. Mitochondria from pol β-deficient mouse fibroblasts had compromised DNA repair and showed elevated levels of superoxide radicals after hydrogen peroxide treatment. Mitochondria in pol β-deficient fibroblasts displayed altered morphology by electron microscopy. These results indicate that mammalian mitochondria contain an efficient base lesion repair system mediated in part by pol β and thus pol β plays a role in preserving mitochondrial genome stability.     

DNA damage responses to oxidative stress

The DNA damage response is a hierarchical process. DNA damage is detected by sensor proteins such as the MRN complex that transmit the information to transducer proteins such as ATM and ATR, which control the damage response through the phosphorylation of effector proteins. The extent of the DNA damage determines cell fate: cell cycle arrest and DNA repair or the activation of apoptotic pathways. In aerobic cells, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated as a by-product of normal mitochondrial activity. If not properly controlled, ROS can cause severe damage to cellular macromolecules, especially the DNA. We describe here some of the cellular responses to alterations in the cellular redox state during hypoxia or oxidative stress. Oxidative damage in DNA is repaired primarily via the base excision repair (BER) pathway which appears to be the simplest of the three excision repair pathways. To allow time for DNA repair, the cells activate their cell cycle checkpoints, leading to cell cycle arrest and preventing the replication of damage and defective DNA.     

Telomeric injury by KML001 in human T cells induces mitochondrial dysfunction through the p53-PGC-1α pathway

Telomere erosion and mitochondrial dysfunction are prominent features of aging cells with progressive declines of cellular functions. Whether telomere injury induces mitochondrial dysfunction in human T lymphocytes, the major component of adaptive host immunity against infection and malignancy, remains unclear. We have recently shown that disruption of telomere integrity by KML001, a telomere-targeting drug, induces T cell senescence and apoptosis via the telomeric DNA damage response (DDR). In this study, we used KML001 to further investigate the role and mechanism of telomere injury in mitochondrial dysregulation in aging T cells. We demonstrate that targeting telomeres by KML001 induces mitochondrial dysfunction, as evidenced by increased mitochondrial swelling and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial DNA content, mitochondrial respiration, oxygen consumption, glycolysis, and ATP energy production. Mechanistically, we found that the KML001-induced telomeric DDR activated p53 signaling, which in turn repressed the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α) and nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1), leading to T cell mitochondrial dysfunction. These results, forging a direct link between telomeric and mitochondrial biology, shed new light on the human T cell aging network, and demonstrate that the p53-PGC-1α-NRF-1 axis contributes to mitochondrial dysfunction in the setting of telomeric DDR. This study suggests that targeting this axis may offer an alternative, novel approach to prevent telomere damage-mediated mitochondrial and T cell dysfunctions to combat a wide range of immune aging-associated human diseases.Subject terms: Immunology, Diseases     

Oxygen tension differentially influences osteogenic differentiation of human adipose stem cells in 2D and 3D cultures

Skeletal defects commonly suffer from poor oxygen microenvironments resulting from compromised vascularization associated with injury or disease. Adipose stem cells (ASCs) represent a promising cell population for stimulating skeletal repair by differentiating toward the osteogenic lineage or by secreting trophic factors. However, the osteogenic or trophic response of ASCs to reduced oxygen microenvironments is poorly understood. Moreover, a direct comparison between 2D and 3D response of ASCs to hypoxia is lacking. Thus, we characterized the osteogenic and angiogenic potential of human ASCs under hypoxic (1%), normoxic (5%), and atmospheric (21%) oxygen tensions in both 2D and 3D over 4 weeks in culture. We detected greatest alkaline phosphatase activity and extracellular calcium deposition in cells cultured in both 2D and 3D under 21% oxygen, and reductions in enzyme activity corresponded to reductions in oxygen tension. ASCs cultured in 1% oxygen secreted more vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) over the 4‐week period than cells cultured in other conditions, with cells cultured in 2D secreting VEGF in a more sustained manner than those in 3D. Expression of osteogenic markers revealed temporal changes under different oxygen conditions with peak expression occurring earlier in 3D. In addition, the increase of most osteogenic markers was significantly higher in 2D compared to 3D cultures at 1% and 5% oxygen. These results suggest that oxygen, in conjunction with dimensionality, affects the timing of the differentiation program in ASCs. These findings offer new insights for the use of ASCs in bone repair while emphasizing the importance of the culture microenvironment. J. Cell. Biochem. 110: 87–96, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Cells depleted of mitochondrial DNA (rho0) yield insight into physiological mechanisms.

A resurgence of interest in mitochondrial physiology has recently developed as a result of new experimental data demonstrating that mitochondria function as important participants in a diverse collection of novel intracellular signaling pathways. Cells depleted of mitochondrial DNA, or rho0 cells, lack critical respiratory chain catalytic subunits that are encoded in the mitochondrial genome. Although rho0 cells contain petit mitochondria, they cannot support normal oxidative phosphorylation and must survive and replicate using ATP derived solely from glycolysis. Without a functional electron transport chain, rho0 cells cannot normally regulate redox potential and their mitochondria appear to be incapable of generating reactive oxygen species. Emerging evidence suggests that these signals are important components in a number of mitochondria-initiated signaling pathways. The present article focuses on how rho0 cells have contributed to an understanding of the role that mitochondria play in distinct physiological pathways involved with apoptosis, glucose-induced insulin secretion, and oxygen sensing.     

Mitochondria in stem cells

The current status of knowledge about mitochondrial properties in mouse, monkey and human embryonic, adult and precursor stem cells is discussed. Topics include mitochondrial localization patterns, oxygen consumption and ATP content in cells as they relate to the maintenance of stem cell properties and subsequent differentiation of stem cells into specific cell types. The significance of the perinuclear arrangement of mitochondria, which may be a characteristic feature of stem cells, as well as the expression of mitochondrial DNA regulatory proteins and mutations in the mitochondrial stem cell genome is also discussed.     

Non-heme dioxygenases in tumor hypoxia: They’re all bound with the same fate

Tumor tissues are known to harbor hypoxic areas. The hypoxic microenvironment promotes angiogenesis. Hypoxic tumor cells also manifest genome instability. DNA damage repair pathways, such as double-strand break repair, mismatch repair and base excision repair are known to be altered during hypoxia. This review is focused on the non-heme Fe(II) and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases which are involved in repair of DNA alkylation adducts. Activities of these DNA repair enzymes are completely oxygen-dependent and little information is available about inhibition of these enzymes during hypoxia. While impairment of function of non-heme dioxygenase during tumor hypoxia has been implicated in different studies, the possible outcomes with respect to mutagenesis and genomic instability are explored here.