Advances and issues in mantle cell lymphoma research: report of the 2014 Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium Workshop

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma characterized by the t(11;14) chromosomal translocation and cyclin D1 over-expression. A biologically and clinically heterogeneous lymphoma, MCL, remains clinically challenging, with no proven curative therapy and no established standard of care. However, there have been considerable advances in the last several years in the treatment and understanding of MCL with the FDA approval of lenalidomide and ibrutinib, the development of other potentially active novel agents and the identification of recurrent mutations through new genomic sequencing approaches that may contribute to the biology of MCL and to therapeutic resistance. At the Lymphoma Research Foundation's 11th MCL Workshop, researchers gathered to discuss recent studies and current issues related to the biology of MCL, novel therapeutic targets and new treatment strategies. The presentations are summarized in this manuscript, which is intended to highlight areas of active investigation and identify topics for future research.