Open Access

MINI REVIEW

Emerging Roles of Fc Receptor-Like 1 in Immunotherapy of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Kayce Blumenstock^1,2, Vandana Zaman^2,3, Camille Green³, Narendra L. Banik^1,2,3, Azizul Haque^1,2,3,*

1 Department of Pharmacology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
2 Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Administration Medical Center, 109 Bee St, Charleston, SC 29401, USA
3 Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas Street, Charleston, SC 29425, USA

* Corresponding Author: Azizul Haque. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Genetic Biomarkers of Cancer: Insights into Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms)

BIOCELL 2025, 49(10), 1859-1871. https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2025.068773

Received 05 June 2025; Accepted 13 August 2025; Issue published 22 October 2025

Abstract

Fc Receptor-Like 1 (FCRL1), a member of the FCRL family, contains two immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs) in its cytoplasmic domain and plays a critical role in B-cell biology. Its expression begins in pre-B-cells, dynamically shifts during B-cell development, and contributes to the regulation of human B-cell activation. Notably, FCRL1 is overexpressed in subsets of naive and memory B-cells, as well as in malignant B-cells, including those in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), an aggressive and often treatment-resistant hematological malignancy. Among FCRL family members, FCRL1 stands out as a promising immunotherapeutic target due to its selective expression in malignant B-cells and its functional role in proliferation. Given the limited efficacy of current therapies for relapsed/refractory DLBCL, targeting FCRL1 could address an unmet clinical need by offering a novel, mechanism-based approach to modulate B-cell signaling and enhance anti-tumor immunity. This mini-review highlights the therapeutic potential of FCRL1-directed strategies, supporting their further exploration in preclinical models and future clinical trials for DLBCL and other B-cell malignancies.

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Keywords

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