427 resultados para Receptor Class-b
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The chicken represents the best-characterized animal model for B cell development in the so-called gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and the molecular processes leading to B cell receptor diversification in this species are well investigated. However, the mechanisms regulating B cell development and homeostasis in GALT species are largely unknown. Here we investigate the role played by the avian homologue of B cell-activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF). Flow cytometric analysis showed that the receptor for chicken B cell-activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family (chBAFF) is expressed by mature and immature B cells. Unlike murine and human BAFF, chBAFF is primarily produced by B cells both in peripheral lymphoid organs and in the bursa of Fabricius, the chicken's unique primary lymphoid organ. In vitro and in vivo studies revealed that chBAFF is required for mature B cell survival. In addition, in vivo neutralization with a decoy receptor led to a reduction of the size and number of B cell follicles in the bursa, demonstrating that, in contrast to humans and mice, in chickens BAFF is also required for the development of immature B cells. Collectively, we show that chBAFF has phylogenetically conserved functions in mature B cell homeostasis but displays unique and thus far unknown properties in the regulation of B cell development in birds.
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BAFF, APRIL and their receptors play important immunological roles, especially in the B cell arm of the immune system. A number of splice isoforms have been described for both ligands and receptors in this subfamily, some of which are conserved between mouse and human, while others are species-specific. Structural and mutational analyses have revealed key determinants of receptor-ligand specificity. BAFF-R has a strong selectivity for BAFF; BCMA has a higher affinity for APRIL than for BAFF, while TACI binds both ligands equally well. The molecular signaling events downstream of BAFF-R, BCMA and TACI are still incompletely characterized. Survival appears to be mediated by upregulation of Bcl-2 family members through NF-kappaB activation, degradation of the pro-apototic Bim protein, and control of subcellular localization of PCKdelta. Very little is known about other signaling events associated with receptor engagement by BAFF and APRIL that lead for example to B cell activation or to CD40L-independent Ig switch.
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Résumé Streptococcus gordonii est une bactérie colonisatrice naturelle de la cavité buccale de l'homme. Bien que normalement commensale, elle peut causer des infections graves, telles que des bactériémies ou des endocardites infectieuses. La pénicilline étant un des traitements privilégiés dans de tels cas, l'augmentation rapide et globale des résistances à cet antibiotique devient inquiétante. L'étude de la physiologie et des bases génétiques de ces résistances chez S. gordonii s'avère donc importante. Les cibles moléculaires privilégiées de la pénicilline G et des β-lactames sont les penicilllin-binding proteins (PBPs). Ces enzymes associées à la membrane ont pour rôle de catalyser les réactions de transpeptidation et de transglycosylation, qui constituent les dernières étapes de la biosynthèse du peptidoglycan (PG). Elles sont définies comme classe A ou B selon leur capacité d'assurer soit les deux réactions, soit uniquement la transpeptidation. Les β-lactames inhibent le domaine transpeptidase de toutes les PBPs, entraînant l'inhibition de la synthèse du PG, l'inhibition de la croissance, et finalement la mort cellulaire. Chez les streptocoques, les PBPs sont aussi les premiers déterminants de la résistance à la pénicilline. De plus, elles sont impliquées dans la morphologie bactérienne, en raison de leur rôle crucial dans la formation du PG. Le but de ce travail était de caractériser les PBPs de S. gordonii et d'étudier leurs fonctions dans la vie végétative de la bactérie ainsi que durant le développement de la résistance à la pénicilline. Premièrement, des mutants auxquels il manque une ou deux PBP(s) ont été construits. Leur étude - au niveau physiologique, biochimique et morphologique - a montré le caractère essentiel ou dispensable de chaque protéine, ainsi que certaines de leurs fonctions potentielles. Deuxièmement, des mutants résistants à la pénicilline ont été générés. Leur caractérisation a montré l'importance des mutations dans les PBPs ainsi que dans d'autres gènes encore inconnus, de même que le rôle crucial des PBPs de classe A dans le développement de la résistance à la pénicilline. Des expériences supplémentaires sur des isolats résistants ont aussi prouvé que la résistance a un coût en terme de fitness, coût que S. gordonii parvient à compenser par des mécanismes d'adaptation. Finalement, les promoteurs des gènes des PBPs ont été déterminés et leur expression a été étudiée grâce au gène de luciférase. Il a ainsi été montré que la résistance à la pénicilline entraîne non seulement des altérations au niveau des protéines, mais aussi au niveau de la régulation des gènes. De plus, la pénicilline génère directement des modifications dans l'expression de PBPs spécifiques. Summary Streptococcus gordonii is a normal inhabitant of the human oral cavity and a pioneer colonizer of teeth. Although usually considered as a commensal, this organism can cause life-threatening infections such as bacteraemia or endocarditis. Since penicillin is one of the preferential treatments for such pathologies, the rapid and general increase of antibiotic resistance in the overall population becomes an issue. Thus, studying the physiologic and genetic bases of such a resistance in S. gordonii is of interest. The primary molecular targets of penicillin G and other β-lactams are the so called penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). These are membrane-associated proteins that catalyze the last steps in peptidoglycan (PG) biosynthesis, namely transpeptidation and transglycosylation. Depending on their capacity to catalyze either reactions or only transpeptidation, they are considered as class A or class B PBPs, respectively. β-lactam antibiotics inhibit the transpeptidase domain of both of these classes of enzymes, resulting in inhibition of PG assembly, inhibition of bacterial growth, and ultimately leading to cell death. In streptococci, PBPs are also the primary determinants of penicillin-resistance. Moreover, because of their crucial role in PG formation, they are implicated in fundamental aspects of cell morphology. The goal of this work was thus to characterize S. gordonii PBPs and to explore their functions in terms of vegetative life and penicillin-resistance development. First, single and double PBP-inactivated mutants were generated and their effect on the bacterial physiology, cell wall biochemistry and ultrastructural morphology was assessed. This demonstrated the essentiality or dispensability of each protein for bacterial life. Second, penicillin-resistant mutants were generated by cyclic exposure to increasing concentrations of the drug. Characterization of these mutants pointed out the importance of both PBP and non-PBP mutations, as well as the crucial role of the class A PBPs in the development of penicillin-resistance. Further experiments on resistant isolates demonstrated the fitness cost of this resistance, but also the capacity of S. gordonii to adapt and regain the fitness of the wild-type. Finally, the promoters of PBP genes were determined and their expression was monitored using luciferase fusions. This showed that penicillin-resistance, in addition to modifications at the level of the protein, also triggered genetic alterations. Moreover, penicillin itself generated modifications in the expression of specific PBPs.
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BACKGROUND: Sunitinib (SU) is a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor with antitumor and antiangiogenic activity. The objective of this trial was to demonstrate antitumor activity of continuous SU treatment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Key eligibility criteria included unresectable or metastatic HCC, no prior systemic anticancer treatment, measurable disease, and Child-Pugh class A or mild Child-Pugh class B liver dysfunction. Patients received 37.5 mg SU daily until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival at 12 weeks (PFS12). RESULTS: Forty-five patients were enrolled. The median age was 63 years; 89% had Child-Pugh class A disease and 47% had distant metastases. PFS12 was rated successful in 15 patients (33%; 95% confidence interval, 20%-47%). Over the whole trial period, one complete response and a 40% rate of stable disease as the best response were achieved. The median PFS duration, disease stabilization duration, time to progression, and overall survival time were 1.5, 2.9, 1.5, and 9.3 months, respectively. Grade 3 and 4 adverse events were infrequent. None of the 33 deaths were considered drug related. CONCLUSION: Continuous SU treatment with 37.5 mg daily is feasible and has moderate activity in patients with advanced HCC and mild to moderately impaired liver dysfunction. Under this trial design (>13 PFS12 successes), the therapy is considered promising. This is the first trial describing the clinical effects of continuous dosing of SU in HCC patients on a schedule that is used in an ongoing, randomized, phase III trial in comparison with the current treatment standard, sorafenib (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT00699374).
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An optimally cross-linked peptidoglycan requires both transglycosylation and transpeptidation, provided by class A and class B penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). Streptococcus gordonii possesses three class A PBPs (PBPs 1A, 1B, and 2A) and two class B PBPs (PBPs 2B and 2X) that are important for penicillin resistance. High-level resistance (MIC, > or =2 microg/ml) requires mutations in class B PBPs. However, although unmutated, class A PBPs are critical to facilitate resistance development (M. Haenni and P. Moreillon, Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 50:4053-4061, 2006). Thus, their overexpression might be important to sustain the drug. Here, we determined the promoter regions of the S. gordonii PBPs and compared them to those of other streptococci. The extended -10 box was highly conserved and complied with a sigma(A)-type promoter consensus sequence. In contrast, the -35 box was poorly conserved, leaving the possibility of differential PBP regulation. Gene expression in a penicillin-susceptible parent (MIC, 0.008 microg/ml) and a high-level-resistant mutant (MIC, 2 microg/ml) was monitored using luciferase fusions. In the absence of penicillin, all PBPs were constitutively expressed, but their expression was globally increased (1.5 to 2 times) in the resistant mutant. In the presence of penicillin, class A PBPs were specifically overexpressed both in the parent (PBP 2A) and in the resistant mutant (PBPs 1A and 2A). By increasing transglycosylation, class A PBPs could promote peptidoglycan stability when transpeptidase is inhibited by penicillin. Since penicillin-related induction of class A PBPs occurred in both susceptible and resistant cells, such a mutation-independent facilitating mechanism could be operative at each step of resistance development.
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Recent years have seen so-called natural killer T (NKT) cells emerge as important regulators of the immune response. The existence of NKT-cell subsets, and other types of T cell that resemble NKT cells, is an ongoing source of confusion in the literature. This perspective article seeks to clarify which cells fall under the NKT-cell umbrella, and which might be best considered as separate.
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BACKGROUND: Filarial nematodes, including Brugia malayi, the causative agent of lymphatic filariasis, undergo molting in both arthropod and mammalian hosts to complete their life cycles. An understanding of how these parasites cross developmental checkpoints may reveal potential targets for intervention. Pharmacological evidence suggests that ecdysteroids play a role in parasitic nematode molting and fertility although their specific function remains unknown. In insects, ecdysone triggers molting through the activation of the ecdysone receptor: a heterodimer of EcR (ecdysone receptor) and USP (Ultraspiracle). METHODS AND FINDINGS: We report the cloning and characterization of a B. malayi EcR homologue (Bma-EcR). Bma-EcR dimerizes with insect and nematode USP/RXRs and binds to DNA encoding a canonical ecdysone response element (EcRE). In support of the existence of an active ecdysone receptor in Brugia we also cloned a Brugia rxr (retinoid X receptor) homolog (Bma-RXR) and demonstrate that Bma-EcR and Bma-RXR interact to form an active heterodimer using a mammalian two-hybrid activation assay. The Bma-EcR ligand-binding domain (LBD) exhibits ligand-dependent transactivation via a GAL4 fusion protein combined with a chimeric RXR in mammalian cells treated with Ponasterone-A or a synthetic ecdysone agonist. Furthermore, we demonstrate specific up-regulation of reporter gene activity in transgenic B. malayi embryos transfected with a luciferase construct controlled by an EcRE engineered in a B. malayi promoter, in the presence of 20-hydroxy-ecdysone. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identifies and characterizes the two components (Bma-EcR and Bma-RXR) necessary for constituting a functional ecdysteroid receptor in B. malayi. Importantly, the ligand binding domain of BmaEcR is shown to be capable of responding to ecdysteroid ligands, and conversely, ecdysteroids can activate transcription of genes downstream of an EcRE in live B. malayi embryos. These results together confirm that an ecdysone signaling system operates in B. malayi and strongly suggest that Bma-EcR plays a central role in it. Furthermore, our study proposes that existing compounds targeting the insect ecdysone signaling pathway should be considered as potential pharmacological agents against filarial parasites.
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An unusual subset of mature T cells expresses natural killer (NK) cell-related surface markers such as interleukin-2 receptor beta (IL-2R beta; CD122) and the polymorphic antigen NK1.1. These "NK-like" T cells are distinguished by their highly skewed V alpha and V beta repertoire and by their ability to rapidly produce large amounts of IL-4 upon T cell receptor (TCR) engagement. The inbred mouse strain SJL (which expresses NK1.1 on its NK cells) has recently been reported to lack NK1.1+ T cells and consequently to be deficient in IL-4 production upon TCR stimulation. We show here, however, that SJL mice have normal numbers of IL-2R beta+ T cells with a skewed V beta repertoire characteristic of "NK-like" T cells. Furthermore lack of NK1.1 expression on IL-2R beta+ T cells in SJL mice was found by backcross analysis to be controlled by a single recessive gene closely linked to the NKR-P1 complex on chromosome 6 (which encodes the NK1.1 antigen). Analysis of a panel of inbred mouse strains further demonstrated that lack of NK1.1 expression on IL-2R beta+ T cells segregated with NKR-P1 genotype (as assessed by restriction fragment length polymorphism) and thus was not restricted to the SJL strain. In contrast, defective TCR induced IL-4 production (which appeared to be a unique property of SJL mice) seems to be controlled by two recessive genes unlinked to NKR-P1. Collectively, our data indicate that "NK-like" T cells develop normally in SJL mice despite genetically distinct defects in NK1.1 expression and inducible IL-4 production.
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Susceptibility of BALB/c mice to infection with Leishmania major is associated with a T helper type 2 (Th2) response. Since interleukin-4 (IL-4) is critically required early for Th2 cell development, the kinetics of IL-4 mRNA expression was compared in susceptible and resistant mice during the first days of infection. In contrast to resistant mice, susceptible mice exhibited a peak of IL-4 mRNA in their spleens 90 min after i.v. injection of parasites and in lymph nodes 16 h after s.c. injection. IL-12 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) down-regulated this early peak of IL-4 mRNA; the effect of IL-12 was IFN-gamma dependent. Treatment of resistant C57BL/6 mice with anti-IFN-gamma allowed the expression of this early IL-4 response to L. major. The increased IL-4 mRNA expression occurred in V beta 8, 7, 2- CD4+ cells in BALB/c mice and NK1.1- CD4+ cells in anti-IFN-gamma treated C57BL/6 mice. These results show that the NK1.1+ CD4+ cells, responsible for the rapid burst of IL-4 production after i.v. injection of anti-CD3, do not contribute to the early IL-4 response to L. major.
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Natural killer T (NKT) cells express a T cell receptor (TCR) and markers common to NK cells, including NK1.1. In vivo, NKT cells are triggered by anti-CD3epsilon MAb to rapidly produce large amounts of IL-4 and by IL-12 to reject tumors. We show here that anti-CD3epsilon MAb treatment rapidly depletes the liver (and partially the spleen) of NKT cells and that homeostasis is achieved 1 to 2 days later via NKT cell proliferation that occurs mainly in bone marrow. Similar results were obtained in mice treated with IL-12. Collectively, our data demonstrate that peripheral NKT cells are highly sensitive to activation-induced cell death and that bone marrow plays a major role in restoring NKT cell homeostasis.
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Penicillin resistance in Streptococcus spp. involves multiple mutations in both penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) and non-PBP genes. Here, we studied the development of penicillin resistance in the oral commensal Streptococcus gordonii. Cyclic exposure of bacteria to twofold-increasing penicillin concentrations selected for a progressive 250- to 500-fold MIC increase (from 0.008 to between 2 and 4 microg/ml). The major MIC increase (> or = 35-fold) was related to non-PBP mutations, whereas PBP mutations accounted only for a 4- to 8-fold additional increase. PBP mutations occurred in class B PBPs 2X and 2B, which carry a transpeptidase domain, but not in class A PBP 1A, 1B, or 2A, which carry an additional transglycosylase domain. Therefore, we tested whether inactivation of class A PBPs affected resistance development in spite of the absence of mutations. Deletion of PBP 1A or 2A profoundly slowed down resistance development but only moderately affected resistance in already highly resistant mutants (MIC = 2 to 4 microg/ml). Thus, class A PBPs might facilitate early development of resistance by stabilizing penicillin-altered peptidoglycan via transglycosylation, whereas they might be less indispensable in highly resistant mutants which have reestablished a penicillin-insensitive cell wall-building machinery. The contribution of PBP and non-PBP mutations alone could be individualized in DNA transformation. Both PBP and non-PBP mutations conferred some level of intrinsic resistance, but combining the mutations synergized them to ensure high-level resistance (> or = 2 microg/ml). The results underline the complexity of penicillin resistance development and suggest that inhibition of transglycosylase might be an as yet underestimated way to interfere with early resistance development.
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Tyrosine kinase receptors lead to rapid activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3 kinase) and the subsequent formation of phosphatidylinositides (PtdIns) 3,4-P2 and PtdIns 3,4, 5-P3, which are thought to be involved in signaling for glucose transporter GLUT4 translocation, cytoskeletal rearrangement, and DNA synthesis. However, the specific role of each of these PtdIns in insulin and growth factor signaling is still mainly unknown. Therefore, we assessed, in the current study, the effect of SH2-containing inositol phosphatase (SHIP) expression on these biological effects. SHIP is a 5' phosphatase that decreases the intracellular levels of PtdIns 3,4,5-P3. Expression of SHIP after nuclear microinjection in 3T3-L1 adipocytes inhibited insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation by 100 +/- 21% (mean +/- the standard error) at submaximal (3 ng/ml) and 64 +/- 5% at maximal (10 ng/ml) insulin concentrations (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively). A catalytically inactive mutant of SHIP had no effect on insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation. Furthermore, SHIP also abolished GLUT4 translocation induced by a membrane-targeted catalytic subunit of PI3 kinase. In addition, insulin-, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I)-, and platelet-derived growth factor-induced cytoskeletal rearrangement, i.e., membrane ruffling, was significantly inhibited (78 +/- 10, 64 +/- 3, and 62 +/- 5%, respectively; P < 0.05 for all) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In a rat fibroblast cell line overexpressing the human insulin receptor (HIRc-B), SHIP inhibited membrane ruffling induced by insulin and IGF-I by 76 +/- 3% (P < 0.001) and 68 +/- 5% (P < 0.005), respectively. However, growth factor-induced stress fiber breakdown was not affected by SHIP expression. Finally, SHIP decreased significantly growth factor-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase activation and DNA synthesis. Expression of the catalytically inactive mutant had no effect on these cellular responses. In summary, our results show that expression of SHIP inhibits insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation, growth factor-induced membrane ruffling, and DNA synthesis, indicating that PtdIns 3,4,5-P3 is the key phospholipid product mediating these biological actions.
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Constitutive activation of the nuclear factor-KB (NF-KB) transcriptional pathway is the main characteristic of the activated B-cell-like (ABC) subtype of diffuse large B- cell lymphoma (DLBCL). This has been attributed to oncogenic mutations in the CARMA1, CD79A/B, MyD88 or RNF31 signaling proteins, which control NF-kB activation at different levels. Since several of these mutations lead to a state that mimics chronically antigen receptor-stimulated B-cells, and since the antigen receptor also triggers other transcription pathways, these might be important in ABC DLBCL malignancy too. In this study we analyzed whether abnormal expression and activity of members of the AP-1 transcription factor family could contribute to the pathogenesis of ABC DLBCL. Here, we identified activation of Jun as well as ATF members of the dimeric AP-1 transcription factor family, as a hallmark of ABC but not of germinal center B- cell-like (GCB) DLBCL cell lines. ABC DLBCL cell lines harbored an upregulated expression of c-Jun, JunB, JunD and ATF3 proteins. We could show that the upregulation of c-Jun, JunB and ATF3 was dependent on constitutive BCR and MyD88 signaling. Since AP-1 transcription factors need to dimerize to be active, Jun binding partners were investigated and we could demonstrate the presence of several ATF/Jun heterodimers (including c-Jun/ATF2, c-Jun/ATF3, c-Jun/ATF7, JunB/ATF2, JunB/ATF3, JunB/ATF7, JunD/ATF2, JunD/ATF3 and JunD/ATF7 heterodimers). The disruption of ATF/Jun heterodimers by A-Fos, a dominant negative form of Jun members, was toxic to ABC but not to GCB DLBCL cell lines. Finally, ATF3 immunohistochemistry on DLBCL patient samples revealed that samples classified as non-GCB had more intense and preferentially nuclear staining of ATF3, which could be of diagnostic relevance since the histological classification of the ABC and GCB DLBCL subtypes is difficult in clinical practice. In conclusion, we could show that ABC DLBCL are not only addicted to NF-KB signaling, but also to signaling by some members of the AP-1 transcription factor family. Thus, the AP-1 pathway might be a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of ABC DLBCL. Additionally, monitoring ATF3 levels could improve the diagnosis of ABC DLBCL by IHC. -- L'activation constitutive du facteur de transcription NF-KB est l'une des caractéristiques principales des lymphomes B du type ABC-DLBCL. Cette addiction est dépendante de mutations oncogéniques de CARMA1, CD79A/B, MyD88 et RNF31 qui contrôlent NF-KB à différents niveaux. Etant donné que la plupart de ces mutations mène à un état d'activation chronique du récepteur des cellules B (BCR) et que le BCR active d'autres voies de signalisation, d'autres facteurs de transcription pourraient être impliqués dans la lymphomagénèse des ABC-DLBCL. Dans cette étude, nous nous sommes demandé si les membres de la famille du facteur de transcription AP-1 contribuaient à la pathogénèse de ce type de lymphome. Dans des lignées cellulaires de lymphomes du type ABC-DLBCL en comparaison avec le type GCB-DLBCL, nous avons pu identifier une activation anormale de plusieurs membres de la famille Jun et ATF, deux sous-familles du facteur de transcription AP-1. Les lignées cellulaires dérivées de lymphomes du type ABC-DLBCL surexpriment les facteurs de transcription c-Jun, JunB, JunD et ATF3. Leur surexpression dépend de l'activation constitutive de la voie du BCR et de MyD88. Etant donné qu'AP-1 requiert la formation de dimères pour être actif, nous nous sommes intéressés aux partenaires d'interactions de c-Jun, JunB et JunD et avons pu montrer la formation de plusieurs hétérodimères Jun/ATF (incluant les hétérodimères c-Jun/ATF2, c-Jun/ATF3, c-Jun/ATF7, JunB/ATF2, JunB/ATF3, JunB/ATF7, JunD/ATF2, JunD/ATF3 et JunD/ATF7). Lorsque l'on empêche la formation de ces hétérodimères avec A-Fos, un dominant négatif des membres Jun, la survie des lignées cellulaires du type ABC-DLBCL est diminuée, tandis que les lignées cellulaires GCB-DLBCL ne sont pas affectées. Pour finir, des immunohistochimies (IHC) pour ATF3 sur des échantillons de patients classifiés comme GCB et non-GCB ont pu montrer une coloration d'ATF3 nucléaire et beaucoup plus intense que les échantillons du type GCB. Ainsi, ATF3 pourrait être potentiellement utile en clinique pour différencier le sous type non-GCB des GCB. En conclusion, nous avons pu montrer que les lymphomes du type ABC- DLBCL ne présentent pas uniquement une addiction à NF-KB, mais également de certains membres de la famille de facteur de transcription AP-1. Par conséquent, AP- 1 pourrait être une cible thérapeutique prometteuse pour le développement de futures stratégies. En outre, la détermination des niveaux d'ATF3 par IHC pourraient améliorer le diagnostic des patients du type ABC DLBCL.