Murine Models of Thymic Lymphomas: Premalignant Scenarios Amenable to Prophylactic Therapy

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses several distinct pathways of murine lymphomagenesis that are responsible to lead the development of thymic lymphomas. The chapter presents various unique features of the thymus. Retroviruses that induce thymic lymphomas have become an important in the field of immunology owing to their instrumental role in the discovery of T lymphocytes and T cell immunological function. Oncogenic retroviruses isolated from a variety of animal species are classified into two major categories: the acute viruses that transform susceptible cells in vitro and induce tumors in vivo after their inoculation, and the chronic viruses that do not transform cells in vitro but induce tumors in vivo after a prolonged latency period. Chronic retroviruses are heterogeneous with regard to their structure, genome, susceptible host, tissue tropism, and the type of tumor induced. Even though murine leukemia retroviruses can infect a range of cell types and tissues in vitro, the outcome of their in vivo inoculation is—by and large—a lymphoma of thymic origin. Identification and characterization of potential malignant cells in other experimental and clinical settings may expand the scope of opportunities for chemoimmuno-prevention of malignant diseases, creating a better alternative to conventional therapy of an already existing malignancy.