A New in Vivo and in Vitro B cell Lymphoma Model,π-BCL1

We report a new variant of the BCL₁ syngeneic mouse B-cell lymphoma model, which we have called π-BCL₁. π-BCL₁ can be established as a syngeneic tumor in BALB/c mice. Tumors can be removed, prepared and easily grown in liquid culture and subsequently transferred back successfully as syngeneic tumors. As a syngeneic tumor π-BCL₁ behaves more like a lymphoma with solid tumor masses, than a chronic lymphocytic leukaemia of the original BCL₁ model. The immunophenotype and the growth characteristics of the π-BCL₁ and BCL₁ tumors appear very similar. Cytologically, π-BCL₁ appears to be a transformation from a small lymphocytic lymphoma to a more diffuse large cell centroblast-like higher-grade lymphoma. We are not aware of any previous reports of such transformation events in a syngeneic animal model of B cell lymphoma. We believe π-BCL₁ provides a useful new tool for the study of B cell lymphoma in vitro and in vivo and enables reduced numbers of tumor passage in mice.