文摘
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Summary
Tumor cell survival critically depends on heterotypic communication with benign cells in the microenvironment. Here, we describe a survival signaling pathway activated in stromal cells by contact to B cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The expression of protein kinase C (PKC)-¦ÂII and the subsequent activation of NF-¦ÊB in bone marrow stromal cells are prerequisites to support the survival of malignant B cells. PKC-¦Â knockout mice are insusceptible to CLL transplantations, underscoring the in?vivo significance of the PKC-¦ÂII-NF-¦ÊB signaling pathway in the tumor microenvironment. Upregulated stromal PKC-¦ÂII in biopsies from patients with CLL, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and mantle cell lymphoma suggests that this pathway may commonly be activated in a variety of hematological malignancies.