Andreas Rosenwald, MD

Gene expression profiling using cDNA microarrays has the potentialto improve current lymphoma classification schemes by establishinga molecular diagnosis of these malignancies. The use of this technologyled to the discovery of biologically and clinically distinct subtypesof diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Gene expression datacan also be used to formulate powerful mathematical algorithms thatpredict the clinical outcome in patients with DLBCL and mantle celllymphoma. In B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, gene expressionprofiling identified ZAP70, an important prognostic marker whose expressioncorrelates with the mutational status of the immunoglobulinheavy chain gene and, therefore, with survival in these patients. Theseexamples illustrate that gene expression profiling may pave the way fordetailed molecular characterization of lymphoid malignancies that willultimately lead to tailored, disease-specific therapies.