Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in men and the fifth-leading cause of cancer death in men worldwide. Like any solid tumor, the hypoxic microenvironment of prostatic cancer drives hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) to mediate cell adaptions to hypoxic conditions. HIFs direct different signaling pathways such as PI3K/Akt/mTOR, NOX, and Wnt/β-Catenin to tumor progression depending on the degree of hypoxia. HIFs regulate cytoskeleton protein expression, promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which occurs when cancer cells lose cell-to-cell adhesions and start invasion and metastasis. Through activating pathways, the hypoxic microenvironment maintains the self-renewal, potency, and anti-apoptotic function of prostate cancer cells and induces tumor metastasis and transformation. These pathways could serve as a potential target for prostate cancer therapy. HIFs increase the expression of androgen receptors on cancer cells maintaining the growth and survival of prostate cancer and the development of its castration resistance. In this review, we elaborate on the role of hypoxia in prostatic cancer pathogenesis and different hypoxia-induced mechanisms.

Background Amid the coronavirus crisis, many aspects of children's lives had been compromised, among which were their sleep habits. The current study aimed to examine children's sleep habits and the children's knowledge of the pandemic and its impact on their quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using observational cross-sectional analysis based on web-based questionnaires and face-to-face interviews, Parents completed the children's sleep habits questionnaire (CSHQ) and the pediatric quality of life inventory (PedsQL-P), and the questionnaire regarding their children's knowledge about COVID-19. Results Among the total sample (n = 259), Children below the age of 6 (n = 52) showed statistically significant higher scores in the bedtime resistance, delayed sleep onset, and sleep anxiety subscales, while those older than the age of 12 (n = 50) showed a higher score in the sleep duration problem subscale and lower scores of physical, emotional and psychological functions. Finally, (71.4%) of the study population showed a high level of knowledge about the infectivity of the coronavirus and the fact that it is a pandemic. Conclusions Sleep problems are common among Egyptian children during the COVID-19 pandemic and have a significant impact on their quality of life.