Background Hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is the key transcription regulator for multiple antigenic factors,including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).Cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes (CREG) has also been identified a potent promoter of angiogenesis.However, the mechanisms by which CREG promotes angiogenesis are not fully understood.Here, we show that CREG is an effective stimulator of HIF-1α under hypoxia in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs).