Novel mouse models of mantle cell lymphoma for preclinical testing of anti-leukemic drugs

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a highly aggressive subtype of B-cell lymphoma that is characterized
by a poor response to current treatment regimens. Based on genetic data from MCL patients, it is
hypothesized that CCND2 is a true driver of MCL. Also, the neuronal protein SOX11 is used as a
diagnostic marker and was identified as a putative MCL-specific oncogene.
Using our optimized targeting strategies, we have recently generated conditional Ccnd2 and SOX11
gain-of-function mouse models to further investigate their roles in the pathobiology of MCL. Our
preliminary indicate that Ccnd2 overexpression in the mouse results in spontaneous development of
MCL. In this project we aim to further characterize these novel MCL mouse models to pave the way
for preclinical evaluation of novel therapeutic strategies in the context of this disease.