Mouse models of B cell lymphomas on the basis of genetic features

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a highly aggressive form of lymphoma that is genetically and phenotypically diverse. Most DLBCLs arise from the germinal center and transcriptionally represent either germinal center or post-germinal center activated B cells by gene expression profiling. Recently, a revised classification of DLBCLs has identified at least six molecularly defined groups based on their genomic landscape. In this review, we discuss the use of transgenic animal models to study DLBCLs based on the more recent genetic-molecular classification framework. We highlight the importance and insights gained from hallmark animal models of DLBCL, containing over 60 different alleles, and their use in therapeutic discovery.