¹Lymphoma Group, Molecular Pathology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncologicas (CNIO), Madrid, Spain

Correspondence: Dr MA Piris, Lymphoma Group, Molecular Pathology Program, Spanish National Cancer Center (CNIO), C/Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, Madrid 28029, Spain. E-mail: mapiris@cnio.es

Received 7 May 2007; Revised 24 August 2007; Accepted 30 August 2007; Published online 4 October 2007.

Abstract

Studies are revealing that lymphoid neoplasms are characterized by well-defined chromosome translocations and by the accumulation of subsequent molecular alterations involving mainly the cell cycle and/or apoptotic pathways. However, survival of B and T tumor cells is also dependent on the interactions with the accompanying cells that comprise the lymphoma microenvironment. Although non-tumor cells can contribute both positive and negative signals to the lymphoma cells, in this review we present compelling evidence of the essential influence of the tumor microenvironment on the initiation and progression of specific lymphoma types, highlighting some new therapeutic approaches that target the lymphoma microenvironment.