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Survival control of malignant lymphocytes by anti-apoptotic MCL-1

Leukemia volume 30, pages 2152–2159 (2016)Cite this article

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Abstract

Programmed apoptotic cell death is critical to maintain tissue homeostasis and cellular integrity in the lymphatic system. Accordingly, the evasion of apoptosis is a critical milestone for the transformation of lymphocytes on their way to becoming overt lymphomas. The anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins are pivotal regulators of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and genetic aberrations in these genes are associated with lymphomagenesis and chemotherapeutic resistance. Pharmacological targeting of BCL-2 is highly effective in certain indolent B-cell lymphomas; however, recent evidence highlights a critical role for the BCL-2 family member MCL-1 in several lymphoma subtypes. MCL-1 is recurrently highly expressed in various kinds of cancer including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of B- and T-cell origin. Moreover, both indolent and aggressive forms of lymphoma require MCL-1 for lymphomagenesis and for their continued survival. This review summarizes the role of MCL-1 in B- and T-cell lymphoma and discusses its potential as a therapeutic target.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a Max Eder-Program grant from the Deutsche Krebshilfe (program #111738), a Human Frontiers Science Program grant (program #RGY0073/2012), a German Jose Carreras Leukemia Foundation grant (DJCLS R 12/22), a research grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, FOR2036) and an Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung grant 2014_A185 (to PJJ and MY) and a Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), grant 310030E150805, part of the D-A-CH initiative from the SNF and the DFG, FOR-2036 (to TK).

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  1. Y Fernández-Marrero and S Spinner: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Y Fernández-Marrero & T Kaufmann

  2. III. Medical Department of Hematology and Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany

    S Spinner & P J Jost

Authors
  1. Y Fernández-Marrero
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  2. S Spinner
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  3. T Kaufmann
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  4. P J Jost
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to T Kaufmann or P J Jost.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Fernández-Marrero, Y., Spinner, S., Kaufmann, T. et al. Survival control of malignant lymphocytes by anti-apoptotic MCL-1. Leukemia 30, 2152–2159 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2016.213

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2016.213

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