These are a sub-type of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas that predominantly affect children and young adults and are characterized by the expression of the nucleophosmin (NPM)/ALK chimeric oncoprotein.
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) was originally identified from a rare subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas carrying t(2;5)(p23;q35) translocation, where ALK was constitutively activated as a result of a fusion with nucleophosmin (NPM).
We found that the CD30 promoter in tumor cells of both nucleophosmin (NPM)-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive and NPM-ALK-negative ALCL and HL is regulated by a constitutively active CD30-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK).
Approximately 5% to 10% of all non-Hodgkin's lymphomas contain a t(2;5)(p23;q35) chromosomal rearrangement, which we have previously shown results in the generation of the fusion protein nucleophosmin-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (NPM-ALK).