eLife: Rare immune cell cancer is related to bone marrow gene mutations

A study published in the journal eLife showed that mutations in blood cells that may be caused by smoking and aging-related changes may lead to a rare blood cancer that affects immune cells

These discoveries may lead to new methods of diagnosing, treating or preventing rare blood cancers, and identifying patients who may develop a second type of blood cancer

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) and Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) are two uncommon cancers that affect immune T cells

Cheng and his research team used next-generation genome sequencing technology to analyze 537 genes in 27 AITL or PTCL patients to find genetic changes that may lead to these T-cell tumors and secondary cancers in some patients

In addition, the research team found that mutations associated with the progression of these tumors may be related to smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke

"Our findings provide new information on how smoking can cooperate with early mutations in blood precursor cells, which can lead to the development of certain T-cell cancers," said senior author Wayne Tam, who is at Weill Cornell School of Medicine.

DOI

10.

Article title

Mutation analysis links angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma to clonal hematopoiesis and smoking