ACKR3 expression on diffuse large B cell lymphoma is required for tumor spreading and tissue infiltration

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most frequent lymphoma accounting for more than the 30% of the cases. Involvement of extranodal sites, such as bone marrow and central nervous system, is associated with poor prognosis. A contribution of the chemokine system in these processes is assumed as it is known as a critical regulator of the metastatic process in cancer. The atypical chemokine receptor 3 (ACKR3), which does not couple to G-proteins and does not mediate cell migration, acts as a scavenger for CXCL11 and CXCL12, interfering with the tumor homing CXCL12/CXCR4 axis. Here, functional expression of ACKR3 in DLBCL cells was necessary for colonization of the draining lymph node in an in vivo subcutaneous lymphoma model. Moreover, in a disseminated in vivo lymphoma model, ACKR3 expression was required for bone marrow and brain invasion and local tumor growth. The present data unveil ACKR3 as potential therapeutic target for the control of tumor dissemination in DLBCL.