Image by Nemes Laszlo/Shutterstock

Researchers at University of Tsukuba have identified multiple T-cell subtypes with unique characteristics in follicular lymphoma, a prevalent type of blood cancer. These T cells regulate the proliferation and apoptosis of tumor cells and significantly affect patient prognosis. This discovery is anticipated to enhance the understanding of malignant lymphoma and improve clinical management strategies.

Tsukuba, Japan—Follicular lymphoma is a common and recurrent form of malignant lymphoma. Although the role of T cells (a type of lymphocyte) in its development has been suggested, the diversity and functions of follicular T cells, found in tumor follicular structures (composed of cancer cells) and closely associated with them, remain unclear.

The researchers employed high-resolution gene expression analysis and single-cell spatial information analysis to identify three new subsets of follicular T cells that increase in follicular lymphoma, each exhibiting distinct gene expression and spatial distribution patterns. Further examination of the antitumor functions, the factors inducing cell differentiation, and the prognostic significance of these follicular T cells revealed a unique cellular ecosystem in the microenvironment of follicular lymphoma. Notably, the proportion of these T-cell subsets within tumors serves as a strong predictor of patient prognosis.

These findings are expected to enhance treatment approaches for follicular lymphoma and provide a foundation for developing new therapies.

###
This work was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI: JP20J20851 to Y.A., JP19H03683 to S.C., and JP25H01055 449 to M.S.-Y.) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Science of Japan; AMED under grant numbers JP21cm0106505 (to S.C.) and JP23tk0124002, JP24ck0106908, JP23ck0106797, JP22H04925 (PAGS), and JP22zf0127009 (the Moonshot Research and Development Program) (to M.S.-Y.); The Yasuda Medical Foundation, SGH Foundation, Friends of Leukemia Research Fund, SENSHIN Medical Research Foundation, Daiichi Sankyo Foundation of Life Science, The NOVARTIS Foundation for the Promotion of Science, The Inamori Foundation, Nippon Shinyaku Research Grant, and University of Tsukuba Basic Research Support Program Type S (to Y.A.); Okinaka Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Foundation for Promotion of Cancer Research, Chemo-Sero Therapeutic Research Institute, and Takeda Science Foundation (to M.S.-Y.); The Uehara Memorial Foundation (to Y.A. and M.S.-Y.). M.F. was supported by Gilead's Research Scholars Program and a grant from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (Grant ID: 3442-25).

Original Paper

Title of original paper:

Distinct follicular T cell subsets regulate lymphoma progression and outcomes

Journal:

Cancer Cell

DOI:

10.1016/j.ccell.2025.06.013

Correspondence

Professor SAKATA-YANAGIMOTO Mamiko
Assistant Professor ABE Yoshiaki
Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba

Related Link

Institute of Medicine