Project name: Homo sapiens

Description: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, is clinically heterogeneous: 40% of patients respond well to current therapy and have prolonged survival, whereas the remainder succumb to the disease. We proposed that this variability in natural history reflects unrecognized molecular heterogeneity in the tumors. Using DNA microarrays, we have conducted a systematic characterization of gene expression in B-cell malignancies. Here we show that there is diversity in gene expression among the tumors of DLBCL patients, apparently reflecting the variation in tumor proliferation rate, host response and differentiation state of the tumor. We identified two molecularly distinct forms of DLBCL which had gene expression patterns indicative of different stages of B-cell differentiation. One type expressed genes characteristic of germinal center B cells ('germinal center B-like DLBCL'); the second type expressed genes normally induced during in vitro activation of peripheral blood B cells ('activated B-like DLBCL'). Patients with germinal center B-like DLBCL had a significantly better overall survival than those with activated B-like DLBCL. The molecular classification of tumors on the basis of gene expression can thus identify previously undetected and clinically significant subtypes of cancer.This study is described more fully in Alizadeh AA et al.(2000) Nature 403:503-11Keywords: other

Data type: Transcriptome or Gene expression

Sample scope: Multiisolate

Relevance: Medical

Release date: 2002-06-27

Last updated: 2002-06-24