Protein could aid early detection of malignant Hodgkin lymphoma

Hodgkin lymphoma is one of the most common forms of lymphoma and occurs primarily in young adults. How this malignant disease of the lymphatic system occurs has not been fully elucidated. Scientists from the University of Duisburg-Essen Medical School (UDE) are now filling in more gaps in the history of the development of Hodgkin’s lymphoma with researchers from the University Hospital Frankfurt am Main. Thanks to their findings*, diagnoses can be made more reliably in the future and better treatments can be developed with further investigations. The research was funded by the Wilhelm Sander Foundation at approximately €176,000 for a period of 24 months.

The focus of the experts is the “CD30” protein. Its presence on the cell surface is a key clue to the formation of Hodgkin lymphoma. However, after their investigation, the research teams from Essen and Frankfurt am Main suspect that the mere presence of CD30 is not always an indicator of such a malignant cancer. Says Professor Dr. Ralph Coopers from the Institute of Cell Biology (Research on Tumors) at the University Hospital Essen. In cooperation with Professor Dr. Martin Leo Hansmann from Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies The two teams were able to demonstrate that CD30 accumulations found in rare immune cells are not a precursor to Hodgkin lymphoma.

In addition, the researchers investigated whether and which potential genetic alterations were involved in the development of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In the form of a first partial result, they were actually able to show that a gene for a specific regulator of gene activities loses function in some cases of Hodgkin lymphoma through mutation. Additional investigations into the genetic changes detected may lead to new starting points for more targeted lymphocytic therapies in the future.

for the Wilhelm Sander Foundation

The Wilhelm Sander Foundation is one of the most important independent scientific sponsors of medical research, particularly of innovative cancer research in Germany and Switzerland. More information, including how to apply for funding, is available at www.wilhelm-sander-stiftung.de.

* Original post in https://doi.org/10.1080/10428194.2021.2015587

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