T Cell and Nk Cell Lymphomas ― From Biology to Novel Therapies

In this book, a group of internationally distinguished lymphoma experts provide a comprehensive review of the most important advances in the biology, diagnosis, and therapy of T cell and NK cell malignancies. In particular, it demonstrates in detail how advances in our understanding of the tumor microenvironment and molecular biology have helped to elucidate the pathogenesis of these lymphomas, improve diagnostic and prognostic accuracy, and develop novel therapies that promise improved patient outcomes. Individual chapters are devoted to particular tumor types and subtypes, and all aspects of transplantation for patients with T cell and NK cell lymphomas are discussed. As such, the book offers a valuable resource for hematologists, oncologists, hematopathologists, and all those seeking an up-to-date overview of how new, targeted therapies are delivering better disease control and improved quality of life.

Christiane Querfeld, M.D., Ph.D. is a board certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous lymphoma. She is the Chief of the Division of Dermatology, Director of the Cutaneous Lymphoma Program, and Assistant Professor at City of Hope National Medical Center. Her clinical practice is dedicated to patients with cutaneous lymphoma. Her research focus has been on investigations of the biology of cutaneous lymphomas and novel therapies for these diseases and she serves as co-principal investigator on several clinical Phase I and II trials of cutaneous T cell lymphomas (CTCL). She is a member of an international collaboration of cutaneous lymphoma experts aimed towards the improved prognostication and characterization of the disease. Her laboratory-based projects are aimed to identify the contributing elements of the tumor microenvironment in CTCL and help elucidate the underlying mechanisms that lead to disease progression through maintenance and proliferation of malignant cells in the skin.

Jasmine Zain is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine and the Director of the T- cell-Lymphoma Program at the City of Hope National Medical Center. Her focus is to conduct early phase clinical trials of novel small molecules in the treatment of lymphomas and other hematological malignancies in an attempt to define targeted therapies for this group of diseases. Her particular area of interest is in T cell malignancies and Cutaneous T cell lymphomas. The lymphomas represent a very diverse group of diseases comprised of approximately 65 different sub-types. T cell lymphomas in particular are poorly understood and standard therapies to treat this heterogenous group of over 20 subtypes of diseases is lacking. Jasmin Zain is interested in linking emerging concepts in molecular pathogenesis and molecular pharmacology in T cell lymphomas to clinically relevant information. The major objective is to identify the relevant biological targets which are known to play a critical role in lymphomagenesis, and then to develop targeted small molecules for these agents, with the ultimate goal of evaluating these potential drug candidates in patients. Thus these targeted therapies will be less toxic, and potentially more curative. She is also part of the stem cell transplant program at City of Hope thus allowing a unique opportunity to integrate the work she does to develop targeted therapies in the Lymphoma program with stem cell transplantation. 

Steven T. Rosen, MD, FACP, FASCO, is the provost and chief scientific officer for City of Hope in Duarte, California. He is also director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Beckman Research Institute and holds the Irell & Manella Cancer Center Director’s Distinguished Chair. He was previously (1989-2014) director of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr Rosen’s laboratory research focuses on experimental therapeutics and hematologic malignancies. He has received funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), American Cancer Society, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, and Rising Tide Foundation. Dr. Rosen has published more than 400 scientific papers and is editor-in-chief of Cancer Treatment and Research. He is chair of the Medical Science Committee of the LLS and serves on its Board. He also serves on the Board of the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Conquer Cancer Foundation. Dr. Rosen has been an advisor to more than two dozen NCI Comprehensive Cancer Centers. He has been the recipient of a number of awards and in 2017 was inducted to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering’s College of Fellows.