New treatment for non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas with a special focus on the impact of junctional adhesion molecules

Abstract

Current therapeutic modalities used for B-cell lymphoma include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy together with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies forms the cornerstone of therapy and has a curative, as well as a palliative, role in this disease. New treatment modalities targeting specific molecules on the surface of lymphoma cells or intracellular pathways regulating apoptosis, proliferation and cell division are intensively investigated. One such target is JAM-C, a molecule implicated in cell adhesion and in B cell migration and whose inhibition blocks B cells from reaching their supportive microenvironments in lymphoid organs. Hopefully this and other strategies will help to improve survival of B cell lymphoma patients in the future.