Comprehensive molecular characterization of gastric adenocarcinoma

Gastric cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths, but analysis of its molecular and clinical characteristics has been complicated by histological and aetiological heterogeneity. Here we describe a comprehensive molecular evaluation of 295 primary gastric adenocarcinomas as part of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project. We propose a molecular classification dividing gastric cancer into four subtypes: tumours positive for Epstein–Barr virus, which display recurrent PIK3CA mutations, extreme DNA hypermethylation, and amplification of JAK2, CD274 (also known as PD-L1) and PDCD1LG2 (also knownasPD-L2); microsatellite unstable tumours, which show elevated mutation rates, including mutations of genes encoding targetable oncogenic signalling proteins; genomically stable tumours, which are enriched for the diffuse histological variant and mutations of RHOA or fusions involving RHO-family GTPase-activating proteins; and tumours with chromosomal instability, which show marked aneuploidy and focal amplification of receptor tyrosine kinases. Identification of these subtypes provides a roadmap for patient stratification and trials of targeted therapies

Integrated genomic characterization of oesophageal carcinoma

Oesophageal cancers are prominent worldwide; however, there are few targeted therapies and survival rates for these cancers remain dismal. Here we performed a comprehensive molecular analysis of 164 carcinomas of the oesophagus derived from Western and Eastern populations. Beyond known histopathological and epidemiologic distinctions, molecular features differentiated oesophageal squamous cell carcinomas from oesophageal adenocarcinomas. Oesophageal squamous cell carcinomas resembled squamous carcinomas of other organs more than they did oesophageal adenocarcinomas. Our analyses identified three molecular subclasses of oesophageal squamous cell carcinomas, but none showed evidence for an aetiological role of human papillomavirus. Squamous cell carcinomas showed frequent genomic amplifications of CCND1 and SOX2 and/or TP63, whereas ERBB2, VEGFA and GATA4 and GATA6 were more commonly amplified in adenocarcinomas. Oesophageal adenocarcinomas strongly resembled the chromosomally unstable variant of gastric adenocarcinoma, suggesting that these cancers could be considered a single disease entity. However, some molecular features, including DNA hypermethylation, occurred disproportionally in oesophageal adenocarcinomas. These data provide a framework to facilitate more rational categorization of these tumours and a foundation for new therapies

The Mekong River Basic Development : The Realities and Prospects of Korea's Participation

At this time, a move resumed to develop the basin of the Mekong River, the largest river in Southeast Asia and a lifetime in the region, following suspension of such a movement in the 1950s. Activities to develop the Mekong River Basin have resumed from the first half of the 1990s, as the area stabilized politically through the end of the Cambodian civil war, the open policies of Myanmar and Laos, the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Peoples Republic of China, and the gradual incorporation of the region into the worldwide economy. In recent years, much of the support for the Mekong River Basin Development has been undertaken under the auspices of the ADB (Asian Development Bank). The Mekong River Basin Development suffered a setback following the financial crisis in East Asia that began in July 1997. Recently, however, as the economies in the region overcame the financial difficulties and showed signs of recovery, the efforts to develop the Basin have become active again. With all the nations in the region joining ASEAN except for China, the region has become even more important and is expected to witness accelerated economic development backed up by repercussions of economic growth. It is in this context that this paper takes a look at the current situation.Mekong River, Asian Development Bank, ADB, Southeast Asia, Economy, ASEAN, Growth

The Mekong River Basic Development: The Realities and Prospects of Korea's Participation

At this time, a move resumed to develop the basin of the Mekong River, the largest river in Southeast Asia and a lifetime in the region, following suspension of such a movement in the 1950s. Activities to develop the Mekong River Basin have resumed from the first half of the 1990s, as the area stabilized politically through the end of the Cambodian civil war, the open policies of Myanmar and Laos, the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the People’s Republic of China, and the gradual incorporation of the region into the worldwide economy. In recent years, much of the support for the Mekong River Basin Development has been undertaken under the auspices of the ADB (Asian Development Bank). The Mekong River Basin Development suffered a setback following the financial crisis in East Asia that began in July 1997. Recently, however, as the economies in the region overcame the financial difficulties and showed signs of recovery, the efforts to develop the Basin have become active again. With all the nations in the region joining ASEAN except for China, the region has become even more important and is expected to witness accelerated economic development backed up by repercussions of economic growth. It is in this context that this paper takes a look at the current situation.Mekong River, Asian Development Bank, ADB, Southeast Asia, economy, ASEAN, growth