Rationale for targeting tumor cells in their microenvironment for mantle cell lymphoma treatment

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma associated with poor prognosis, and despite recent improvements in the therapeutic strategies for treating MCL, its management remains challenging. While improvements in next generation sequencing technology have greatly increased our understanding of the intrinsic abnormalities of MCL, the role of extrinsic signaling remains largely unknown. Recent studies have highlighted the central role of the MCL microenvironment in tumor cell survival, drug resistance and proliferation. Characterization of the diverse MCL tumoral niches and comprehension of the crosstalk between tumor cells and surrounding cells within the MCL microenvironment are needed to increase treatment efficacy. Here, we reviewed the recent findings regarding the MCL microenvironment that could be rapidly translated into new therapeutic strategies to overcome drug resistance during MCL treatment.