Abstract
Waldenström‘s macroglobulinemia (WM) is a low-grade B-cell lymphoma characterized by the presence of lymphoplasmacytic cells in the bone marrow and a serum monoclonal immunoglobulin, known as IgM, in the circulation. Although indolent, it remains incurable with a median overall survival of 5–6 years, and most patients succumb to disease progression. Cytogenetic and molecular studies on gene-expression analysis at the mRNA level have demonstrated minimal changes in WM cells. Therefore, multilevel characterization of this disease at the genetic and epigenetic level is required to improve our understanding of the underlying molecular changes that lead to the initiation and progression of this disease. In this study it has been demonstrated that WM patients present with a specific miRNA signature. Among deregulated miRNAs, miR-155 and miR-9* play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of this disease.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acnowledge J Stedman for her editorial assistance.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.