每年有超过六万名美国人罹患淋巴瘤。加州大学洛杉矶分校的研究人员发现了与淋巴瘤有关的基因，将有助于开发出治疗这种疾病的新路径，他们辨认出一些基因不活化时，会导致B 细胞非霍金奇氏淋巴瘤(NHL)。
这些基因缺陷可能也与其它癌症的形成有关，因为它们会使正常的肿瘤抑制基因不活化。
这个研究团队由Michael Teitell医师领军，并接受The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society的资助，利用经过遗传设计的小鼠准确地模仿人类B细胞癌。
之前发表的研究，从NHL患者的癌细胞辨认出经常发生异常的基因缺陷，因此发现了当TCL1 基因及其它相关的基因发生异常时，可能导致小鼠发生NHL。
现在，他们利用一种强大的遗传技术--限制性标志的基因扫描(RLGS)，发现这些与TCL1 基因一起导致NHL的基因。这些基因在淋巴瘤中，会发生DNA过甲基化而造成缺陷。
这项突破性的研究发表于2007 年1月29 日的Oncogene中，研究结果有助于研发治疗NHL的新药物。
(资料来源 : Bio.com)
英文原文：
UCLA Researchers Discover Genes Linked to Lymphoma
Jan 30 2007, 12:37 PM EST
GEN News Highlights
Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles identified genes that, when inactivated, help cause B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). These genetic defects may also be involved in promoting the formation of other cancers since they can inactivate normal tumor-suppressing gene activities in a range of cell types.
The team used genetically engineered mice to accurately mimic human B-cell cancers. They had previously identified frequent genetic abnormalities in cancer cells from NHL patients—namely defects in the TCL1 gene—and showed that TCL1 abnormalities can cause NHL in mice when accompanied by additional genetic defects. Now, they have found some of these cancer collaborators.
Michael Teitell, M.D., Ph.D., and his team used restriction landmark genomic scanning (RLGS) to find genes that work with abnormal TCL1 to promote lymphoma formation. These genes are inactivated in lymphomas by DNA hypermethylation.
The research, published in the January 29, 2007, issue of Oncogene, may help in the development of new targeted drugs for NHL patients.The study was funded by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
