Research News
In the immune system's germinal centres, immune cells learn to specifically target pathogens. Photo: Dinis Calado/MDC
Further Information:
Immune Cell Tumours
The most frequent form of adenoid tissue tumours, B-cell lymphomas, is characterised by a certain gene being overly active due to its misplaced position in the genetic material. Antibody producing B-cells propagate in the lymphoid organs' germinal centres. In doing so, they change also their genetic material to be able to combat new pathogens. Investigating those germinal centres, Dr Dinis Calado and Prof. Dr. Klaus Rajewsky from the Max Delbrück Center have identified two B-cell subgroups, in which said gene, called MYC, is active. Normally, MYC controls cell division processes and is of importance also for the germinal centres, however, its activity in B-cells was unknown so far. The now discovered B-cell groups with MYC activity carry an increased risk for tumour formation, because errors can easily occur due to their fast propagation rate and changing within the germinal centres.
