Tellier et al1 propose that the rare naïve t(14;18)-positive B cells as produced from erroneous VDJ recombinations in bone marrow precursor B cells may preferentially home germinal centers of lymph nodes where they reside as nonproliferating cells. Several rounds of reentry in this compartment in which the cells accumulate DNA damage may lead to functionally important gene mutations and consequently to the development of a so-called follicular lymphoma in situ and ultimately to overt follicular lymphoma.
