Abstract:Hypoxia-induced cellular autophagy is a crucial adaptive mechanism in response to low oxygen stress. Oncostatin M (OSM), a multifunctional cytokine, has recently been shown to modulate autophagy under hypoxic conditions. Mammalian Ste20-like kinase 1 (Mst1) is a key regulator of autophagy. OSM promotes autophagic flux by inhibiting Mst1 phosphorylation, which subsequently relieves the inhibitory effect of Mst1 on the autophagy-related protein Beclin-1 and influences the YAP/TAZ-TEAD transcriptional pathway. This process ultimately improves mitochondrial function and enhances the survival of cardiomyocytes. This review outlines the mechanisms of cellular injury in high-altitude hypoxic environments, the fundamental roles of autophagy, and its cytoprotective effects. It aims to explore the molecular mechanisms through which OSM alleviates hypoxic cell injury by regulating autophagy, particularly its relationship with Mst1, thereby providing new perspectives for the treatment of high-altitude hypoxic injury.