GI highlights from the literature

Basic scienceMutation signatures in oesophageal adenocarcinoma to direct therapy Secrier M, Li X, de Silva N, et al. Mutational signatures in esophageal adenocarcinoma define etiologically distinct subgroups with therapeutic relevance. Nat Genet 2016;48:1131–41. Recent next-generation sequencing studies have revealed few common mutated driver genes in patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC), particularly those with a known history of Barrett's oesophagus. Genomic instability is a feature of these cancers, and altogether these data paint a picture of tremendous genetic heterogeneity, making it difficult to develop new therapeutic strategies. Here, a comprehensive analysis of copy number changes versus mutations was performed by whole-genome sequencing in 129 patients with OAC. The results were compatible with previous studies that showed a great deal of intrapatient genetic heterogeneity and that chromosomal changes were more prevalent than mutations. No obvious identifiers of cancer subtypes were initially found. However, an interesting observation was made...
Source: Gut - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Tags: JournalScan Source Type: research