A phenopushing platform to identify compounds that alleviate acute hypoxic stress by fast-tracking cellular adaptation

Li Li, Heinz Hammerlindl, Susan Q. Shen, Feng Bao, Sabrina Hammerlindl, Steven J. Altschuler () and Lani F. Wu ()
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Li Li: University of California San Francisco
Heinz Hammerlindl: University of California San Francisco
Susan Q. Shen: University of California San Francisco
Feng Bao: University of California San Francisco
Sabrina Hammerlindl: University of California San Francisco
Steven J. Altschuler: University of California San Francisco
Lani F. Wu: University of California San Francisco

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Severe acute hypoxic stress is a major contributor to the pathology of human diseases, including ischemic disorders. Current treatments focus on managing consequences of hypoxia, with few addressing cellular adaptation to low-oxygen environments. Here, we investigate whether accelerating hypoxia adaptation could provide a strategy to alleviate acute hypoxic stress. We develop a high-content phenotypic screening platform to identify compounds that fast-track adaptation to hypoxic stress. Our platform captures a high-dimensional phenotypic hypoxia response trajectory consisting of normoxic, acutely stressed, and chronically adapted cell states. Leveraging this trajectory, we identify compounds that phenotypically shift cells from the acutely stressed state towards the adapted state, revealing mTOR/PI3K or BET inhibition as strategies to induce this phenotypic shift. Importantly, our compound hits promote the survival of liver cells exposed to ischemia-like stress, and rescue cardiomyocytes from hypoxic stress. Our “phenopushing” platform offers a general, target-agnostic approach to identify compounds and targets that accelerate cellular adaptation, applicable across various stress conditions.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57754-1

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