THE ROLE OF CD49D IN CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKAEMIA: MICROENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

• Main Authors: Michele Dal Bo, Erika Tissino, Dania Benedetti, Chiara Caldana, Riccardo Bomben, Giovanni Del Poeta, Gianluca Gaidano, Francesca Maria Rossi, Antonella Zucchetto, Valter Gattei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: European Medical Journal 2014-07-01
• Series: European Medical Journal Hematology
• Subjects: cd49d; microenvironment; chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (cll)
• Online Access: https://emj.emg-health.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/02/The-Role-of-CD49d-in-Chronic-Lymphocytic-Leukaemia-Microenvironmental-Interactions-and-Clinical-Relevance.pdf

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is a clinically heterogeneous disease characterised by the accumulation/expansion of a clonal population of neoplastic cells with the morphological appearance of small mature B lymphocytes in blood, bone marrow, and lymphoid organs. Stimulation through the B cell receptor (BCR) plays a prominent role in the selection and expansion of the malignant clone in CLL. On the other hand, other external signals delivered by several cell types including T lymphocytes, macrophages, stromal cells, endothelial cells, and follicular dendritic cells, operating through either direct BCR-independent cell-cell contact or indirect production of paracrine soluble factors, synergistically cooperate in regulating proliferation and survival of CLL cells. In this context, CD49d is known to play a pivotal role in mediating both cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in CLL-involved tissues, eventually delivering pro-survival signals and protecting CLL cells from drug-induced damages. In the present review, we focused on functional and physical interactions of CD49d with other microenvironmental receptors, including CD38 and BCR, and other specific CD49d-dependent interactions in lymph node and bone marrow microenvironments responsible for growth and survival-supporting signals, eventually influencing CLL prognosis and therapeutic options.