The molecular pathogenesis of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Abstract

The B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHL) are a diverse group of haematological malignancies which arise from the mature B-lymphocyte compartment. Recently, our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of these disorders has greatly increased due to technological advances such as high-throughput DNA sequencing techniques. A paradigm of B-NHL pathogenesis has emerged where the normal genetic processes that are central to generating B-cell receptor diversity (somatic hypermutation and class switch/VDJ recombination) also drive the genesis of large-scale, chromosomal-level genetic lesions and smaller-scale gene-level mutations to produce the malignant phenotypes observed. Whilst a significant..