Proteasome inhibitors prevent tumor cell proliferation in HHV-8-unrelated PEL-like lymphoma

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL)-like lymphoma is a rare variant of PEL that exhibits diverse clinical behaviors, ranging from mild to aggressive disease courses. The clinicopathological features and effective treatments for this type of lymphoma have not been well defined. We found that proteasome inhibitors were effective in inhibiting the growth and survival of OGU1 cells, which were derived from a patient with aggressive PEL-like lymphoma, highlighting the critical role of proteasome activity in the proliferation of PEL-like lymphoma cells. This suggests that proteasome inhibitors, such as bortezomib, could be promising therapeutic options for patients who respond poorly to conventional chemotherapy.