Pre-B cell proliferation and lymphoblastic leukemia/high-grade lymphoma in Eμ-miR155 transgenic mice

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a newly discovered class of posttranscriptional regulatory noncoding small RNAs that bind to targeted mRNAs and either block their translation or initiate their degradation. miRNA profiling of hematopoietic lineages in humans and mice showed that some miRNAs are differentially expressed during hematopoietic development, suggesting a role in hematopoietic cell differentiation. In addition, recent studies suggest the involvement of miRNAs in the initiation and progression of cancer. miR155 and BIC, its host gene, have been reported to accumulate in human B cell lymphomas, especially in diffuse large B cell lymphomas, Hodgkin lymphomas, and certain types of Burkitt lymphomas. Here, we…