Advances in multidimensional metabolic evolution and regulatory mechanisms of infantile hemangioma

doi:10.19438/j.cjoms.2026.05.012

Abstract

Abstract: Infantile hemangioma (IH) evolution is fundamentally driven by integrated metabolic reprogramming. Hemangioma endothelial cells (HemECs) sustain rapid proliferation via 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) dependent glycolysis, glutamine metabolism, and the SRY-box transcription factor 18 (SOX18)-mevalonate pathway. This metabolic shift is transcriptionally regulated by the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)/ mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) axis and supported by a complex microenvironment where stem cells and pericytes enable energy sharing through exosomal and substrate shuttling. Decoding this multicellular metabolic network is crucial for understanding the biochemical mechanisms of IH involution and establishing new therapeutic strategies centered on metabolic vulnerability.

Key words: Infantile hemangioma, Metabolic reprogramming, Endothelial cells, Microenvironment

CLC Number:

Jin Song, Wu Haiwei, Zhang Dongsheng. Advances in multidimensional metabolic evolution and regulatory mechanisms of infantile hemangioma[J]. China Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2026, 24(5): 517-526.

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