Message from the Principal Investigator

Objectives

Based on an agreement among Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Korea National Research Foundation (KNRF) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), this program supports joint research conducted by researchers of Japan, China and Korea. The three countries (A3) work as consortium in advancing leading-edge research with an aim to establishing a top-level research hub in Asia.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of common cancers in Japan, China and Korea, and hence it is highly important to fight against GC by researchers from these three countries. As for the mechanisms underlying gastric carcinogenesis, epigenetic changes including DNA methylation are very important, because many genes have been shown to be frequently silenced by methylation in GCs. Epigenetic changes can be used as diagnostic markers. Moreover, one characteristic nature of epigenetic changes are their reversibility, and thus researches on epigenetic changes in GC may also lead to new preventive and therapeutic measures against GC. Thus, the objectives of the present project are to explore the role of epigenetic pathway in gastric carcinogenesis and its application in molecular sub-typing of GC through the collaboration of researchers of the three countries. The other important objective is to educate young researchers in the three countries.

Yasuhito Yuasa
Tokyo Medical and Dental University

Implementation Period

August 2009 - July 2014