Establishment of the MAVER -1 cell line, a model for leukemic and aggressive mantle cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) cell lines are difficult to generate; only nine lines have been described so far and few of them have been thoroughly characterized. DESIGN AND METHODS: We established MAVER-1, a new MCL cell line, obtained from a leukemic MCL harboring both a t(11;14) translocation and a MYC rearrangement, and used immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, molecular biology and cytogenetic techniques in order to characterize the cell line precisely. RESULTS: By immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry MAVER-1 displayed a classical MCL phenotype (IgM+, l+, CD5+, CD10-, CD19+, CD20+, CD23-, CD79a+, cyclin D1+) and genetic analysis showed a typical V/D/J rearrangement with naive mutational status. According to both classic cytogenetic analysis and spectral karyotyping, MAVER-1 harbored the t(11;14) translocation associated with a complex karyotype. Molecular analysis by polymerase chain reactions showed that the t(11;14) breakpoint is within the major translocation cluster. Other important abnormalities of MAVER-1 include TP53 gene inactivation by a combined mutation of exon 8 and chromosome 17p13 deletion, ATM deletion, 8q24 (MYC) rearrangement and 8p22 deletion. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: The new cell line will be useful for in vitro studies regarding MCL pathogenesis and drug sensitivity, as well as a diagnostic control material.