The clinicopathological and genomic research of extranodal T-cell lymphoma in Japan

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K15101
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 49020:Human pathology-related
• Research Institution: Tokai University
• Principal Investigator: TOMITA Sakura 東海大学, 医学部, 助教 (20647507)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: MEITL

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Monomorphic epitheliotropic intestinal T-cell lymphoma (MEITL) is a rare primary T-cell lymphoma of the digestive tract with poor prognosis. I aimed to clarify the genetic characteristics of MEITL in Japan using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPE). I demonstrated that mutations and/or loss of tumor suppressor gene SETD2 and mutations of genes associated with JAK/STAT pathway in MEITL. All these gene abnormalities might have pathogenic role of MEITL.

Free Research Field

病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

節外性に発生するT細胞性リンパ腫はいずれもまれな悪性リンパ腫で、未だ不明な点が多く、確立された治療法はない。今回、MEITLの遺伝子異常を明らかにすることができ、SETD2やJAK/STAT経路の異常が腫瘍発生に関与する可能性が示唆された。これらの遺伝子異常に基づき、有効な治療法が開発されることが望まれる。