Mutations of the BRAF gene in human cancer

Cancers arise owing to the accumulation of mutations in critical genes that alter normal programmes of cell proliferation, differentiation and death. As the first stage of a systematic genome-wide screen for these genes, we have prioritized for analysis signalling pathways in which at least one gene is mutated in human cancer. The RAS RAF MEK ERK MAP kinase pathway mediates cellular responses to growth signals. RAS is mutated to an oncogenic form in about 15% of human cancer. The three RAF genes code for cytoplasmic serine/threonine kinases that are regulated by binding RAS. Here we report BRAF somatic missense mutations in 66% of malignant melanomas and at lower frequency in a wide range of human cancers. All mutations are within the kinase domain, with a single substitution (V599E) accounting for 80%. Mutated BRAF proteins have elevated kinase activity and are transforming in NIH3T3 cells. Furthermore, RAS function is not required for the growth of cancer cell lines with the V599E mutation. As BRAF is a serine/threonine kinase that is commonly activated by somatic point mutation in human cancer, it may provide new therapeutic opportunities in malignant melanoma.     

标准模型与超出标准模型的物理学

20世纪60年代末在非阿贝尔规范理论框架下建立起来的基本粒子的标准模型，成功地描述了强相互作用和电弱相互作用，广泛地被用来处理粒子物理的各种实验现象。但是由于它有太多的参量，以及不能很好地解决很多重要的问题，人们普遍认为它并不是一个粒子物理的终极理论。因此寻找超出标准模型的新物理就成为21世纪粒子物理学家迫切的任务。     

广义相对论中的异常零超曲面

本书给出了一个广义相对论中的广泛的和自含的脉冲类光信号的数学理论说明。这一理论将应用在相对论天体物理、宇宙学和来自引力交叉理论。激变天体物理事件提升到脉冲类光信号，并能分解为零物质薄壳和一个脉冲引力波，书中介绍了其在黑洞物理、波冲突和致密引力作用源中类光推进的一些例子。