The loss of ΙκΒε inhibitor accelerates disease development in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Abstract

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is an indolent B cell malignancy in which B lymphocytes accumulate in peripheral blood (PB), bone marrow (BM) and spleen (SP), as a result of a complex intertwining between microenvironmental stimuli and genetic defects. Molecular studies revealed recurrent mutations in a large number of genes, each present with distinct frequency in different subgroups of patients. Among these genes, NFKBIE, a negative regulator of the NF-κB pathway, has been found mutated in a relevant proportion of patients with CLL, mainly those belonging to the clinically aggressive subset 1, suggesting that a reduced expression of NFKBIE may contribute to CLL aggressiveness through constitutive NF-κB activation independent of BcR signaling.

George Tsiolas

Research Fellow | Molecular Biology | Applied Bioinformatics

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