Disclosed herein are prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors that can stabilize hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), as well as hypoxia inducible factor-2 (HIF-2). Also disclosed herein are pharmaceutical compositions comprising one or more of the disclosed compounds. Yet further disclosed are methods for stimulating the cellular immune response in a mammal such as increasing phagocytosis, for example, prolonging the life of phagocytes, inter alia, kerotyiocytes, neutrophils. As such the disclosed compounds provide methods for treating diseases that relate to the body's immune response.