Method to Identify CD40-Sensitive Cells Using Gene Expression

摘要

Gene expression patterns were analyzed in CD40-sensitive and CD40-resistant diffuse large-cell B-lymphoma (DLCBL) cell lines to identify signaling pathways which are involved in CD40-mediated apoptosis. CD40-resistant lines expressed pre-B cell markers including RAG and VPREB, whereas CD40-sensitive cells resembled mature B-cells and expressed higher levels of transcripts encoding several members of the CD40 signaling pathway including LCK and VAV. In addition, CD40 sensitive DLCBL cell lines also displayed constitutive activation of ERK and failed to undergo apoptosis when ERK phosphorylation was inhibited. In contrast, CD40 resistant lines showed no constitutive activation of ERK and no increase in ERK activity in response to CD40 stimulation. The invention includes methods to differentiate between CD40-sensitive and CD-40 resistant cells based on these differences in gene expression.