Genetic polymorphisms are thought to be associated with the individual difference in the esophageal cancer treatment.A large number of evidences show that 5-FU and cisplatin metabolism,apoptosis and angiogenesis related gene SNPs are associated with the therapeutic sensitivity of esophageal cancer.

Isocitrate dehydrogenases(IDHs)are considered as key enzymes in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Recurrent mutations in the IDH1 and IDH2 genes are recently found in several human cancers. Those point mutations specifically affect IDH1 and IDH2 active site arginine residues and confer a neomorphic enzyme function of directly catalyzing α-ketoglutarate(α-KG)to R-2-hydroxyglutarate(R-2-HG). R-2-HG can com-petitively inhibits α-KG-dependent enzymes and may therefore contribute to the occurrence and development of tumor. In addition,Mutation status of IDH1 and IDH2 are closely relative to the progress and prognosis of cer-tain tumor. Thus IDH1 and IDH2 are considered to be promising biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis and targeted therapy.

In recent year, one of the hot topics in esophageal carcinoma research is the impaired gene expression resulted from hypermethylation within the promoter regions of rumor suppressor genes. Many studies suggested that DNA methylation plays an important role in the initiation, invasion, and metastasis of esophageal carcinoma. DNA methylation spectrum in peripheral blood may be used as markers for early diagnose, prognosis prediction and follow up in esophageal cancer patients. De-methylation of tumor suppressor genes may become a target of esophageal carcinoma therapy.

Abnormal methylation of the tumor-related genes is frequently found in the development of gastric cancer.Cancer cells exhibit two opposing methylation abnormalities:genome-wide hypomethylation and certain tumor suppressor gene hypermethylation.Furthermore,it seems that the level of DNA methylation is closely associated with the prognosis of gastric cancer.Recently,a great deal of research has been conducted to reveal the corelation of DNA methylation and gastric cancer.

Innate immunity plays an important role in inflammatory injury after cerebral ischemia,and inflammasome is considered to be a key factor.Inflammasome is a macromolecular protein complex,can recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns and damage-associated molecular patterns,and mediate immune inflammatory responses.Studies have shown that cerebral ischemia can induce the acute activation of the NLRP1 and NLRP3 inflammasomes.This article reviews the structure,activation and regulation of inflammasome,and the roles of inflammasome in cerebral ischemia.

Objective To explore the TCM pathogenesis based on the analyses of TCM pattern elements. Methods TCM pattern elements of 84 patients with middle-late pancreatic cancer to analyze the TCM disease location and characteristics by their frequency and the contribution scores. Results A total of 84 patients were included, TCM disease location with the top 10 rank of the contribution scores were spleen, stomach, liver, gallbladder, kidney, intestine, lung, heart, spleen, stomach, while they were significantly higher than others (P<0.05). And the TCM pattern elements with the top 5 rank of the contribution scores were qi deficiency, dampness, heat, blood stasis, toxin, while they were significantly higher than others (P<0.01). Conclusions TCM disease locations of middle-late pancreatic cancer were mainly in spleen and stomach, and TCM pattern element were excessive patterns with qi deficiency, deficiency patterns with dampness, heat, blood stasis and toxin.

Lycopene is an important natural carotenoid,and is widely found in human tissues and blood,with the prevention of many types of cancer,anti-aging effect.It can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells of oral malignancy,and increasing of gap-junction communication between cells to prevent oral cancer,and also can inhibit the development of colorectal cancer by reducing the activity of matrix metalloproteinase.It plays the role of anti-metastasis through enhancing the expression of anti-metastatic gene nm23-H1.

Recently,many studies find that microRNA plays a key role in the development,diagnosis,treatment and prevention of gastric cancer.It is confirmed that miR-451 can be used as a useful biomarker for the screening of gastric cancer.Studies also show that miR-203 and miR-21 may become diagnostic markers of gastric cancer.MicroRNA can play the role of oncogenes,and also can play the role of tumor suppressor gene,such as miR-141 plays the role of tumor suppressor gene through inhibition of the positive fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 gene expression.

CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) refers to a set of multiple gene promoter CpG island methylation phenotype which exists in tumor at the same time.Many studies show that CIMP is ubiquitous in gastric cancer,which is related to the pathogenesis,diagnosis,patient's condition,prognosis and curative effect of gastric cancer.

Researches find that microRNAs(miRNAs) participate in cell proliferation,differentiation and apoptosis.Dysregulation of miRNA exist in almost all kinds of tumors,including esophageal cancer.MiRNAs bind to mRNA of oncogene or tumor suppressor gene by perfectly or partly base-pair complementarity,and then,promote mRNA degradation or inhibit translation of target mRNA.Recently studies have comfirmed that miRNA functions as a significant regulator in esophageal cancer and it is involved in tumorigenesis,development and prognosis.MiR-21 binds to programmed cell death 4(PDCD4) mRNA and inhibits the translation of PDCD4,then promotes tumorigenesis of esophageal cancer.MiR-106-25 polycistron is activated by genomic amplification,and then suppresses the expressions of P21 and Rim,and subsequently promotes the occurrence and progress of esophageal cancer.