Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6113747 | Seminars in Hematology | 2014 | 9 Pages |
Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a clinically heterogeneous disease characterized by the accumulation/expansion of a clonal population of neoplastic cells with the morphologic appearance of small mature B lymphocytes in blood, bone marrow, and lymphoid organs. A combination of genetic lesions is primarily responsible for the first step(s) of neoplastic transformation, along with microenvironmental signals, which concurrently operate by enhancing proliferation and/or inhibiting apoptosis. In this context, CD49d is known to play a pivotal role in mediating both cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in CLL-involved tissues, eventually delivering pro-survival signals and protecting CLL cells from drug-induced damages. In the present review, we address, in detail, CD49d activities in the CLL microenvironment, CD49d functional and physical interactions with other microenvironmental receptors (including CD38 and B-cell receptor), and the relationship of CD49d expression with specific cytogenetic features in CLL.
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Authors
Michele Dal Bo, Erika Tissino, Dania Benedetti, Chiara Caldana, Riccardo Bomben, Giovanni Del Poeta, Gianluca Gaidano, Francesca Maria Rossi, Antonella Zucchetto, Valter Gattei,