Lymphoma Translational Research Laboratory

​The Lymphoma Genomic Translational Research Laboratory, led by Principal Investigator Associate Professor Choon Kiat ONG, is dedicated to gaining a better understanding of the pathogenesis and aetiology of lymphoma, and subsequently translating significant findings into novel treatment approaches for patients through clinical trials. Lymphoma is a very complex disease with many different subtypes. The lab’s research focuses mainly on non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, especially T and NK cell lymphomas which are more prevalent in Asia.

Over the past decade, the laboratory has established itself at the forefront of lymphoma research, with multiple high-impact publications and a strong international presence. The laboratory has cultivated collaborations not only with local institutions, but also with regional and international partners. Our research is augmented by robust capabilities including patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, humanised and transgenic mouse models, and a well-developed bioinformatics pipeline.

The laboratory also places great emphasis on nurturing human capital, as evidenced by its active hosting of local and international students and research fellows. The laboratory has advanced the understanding of natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTL) and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) through integrative genomic and molecular analyses that delineate key disease mechanisms and drivers of tumour initiation and progression. Its work has identified recurrently altered pathways, clarified the role of Epstein–Barr virus in malignant transformation, and defined factors influencing response to immune-based therapies. In angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, the lab has characterised the mutational landscape, particularly involving genes that regulate gene expression, and highlighted disrupted pathways with therapeutic relevance. In parallel, detailed molecular studies have refined the biological and diagnostic characterisation of rare T-cell lymphoma entities, contributing to more precise disease classification and understanding.

Translating their findings from the lab into clinically actionable tools, the laboratory has developed genomic and SNP-based prognostic models and partnered with industry collaborators to develop clinical-grade assays. In parallel, international collaborations have advanced the molecular subclassification and diagnostic biomarker landscape of PTCL, providing a more precise framework for disease diagnosis and risk stratification.

Our research programme has been supported by a range of competitive grants and philanthropic funds, including from the National Medical Research Council (NMRC), the Tanoto Foundation, the Ling Foundation, Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre, and other funding bodies. This support has enabled us to sustain long-term research efforts and pursue collaborative projects aimed at deepening the understanding of lymphoma and improving patient outcomes. The laboratory has also received support from industry partners, including pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, for selected collaborative projects. We are grateful for the continued trust of our funders and remain committed to making the best use of available resources to advance our work in a meaningful and impactful way.

The work of the laboratory's members has been recognised through a number of awards, both locally and internationally. This includes the AACR Team Science Award 2018 from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), conferred on the interdisciplinary team for advancing the understanding of Asian-prevalent cancers.

Selected publications:

1. Xiong J, Kwong YL, de Leval L, Qi S, Ong CK, Gaulard P, Jaccard A, M Horwitz S, Li Y, Chen S, Suzuki R, Kim WS, Zhao W. Extranodal Natural Killer/T-cell Lymphoma: From Fatal to Curable. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2026 (in press). Impact Factor: 232.4 (Co-author) 
2. Chan JY, Lee ECY, Chai KXY, Lim BY, Li Z, Lee JY, Kannan B, Tay HY, Ko TK, Kok JS, Lim KS, Taib NABM, Huang D, Lim JQ, Hazama M, Fukushima K, Teh BT, Lim ST, Ong CK. Preclinical activity of brincidofovir in peripheral T-cell and NK/T-cell lymphoma. BMC Med. 2026 Feb 6;24(1):147. PMID: 41652589. Impact Factor: 8.300. (Corresponding author). 
3. Huang C, Gao Y, Chen J, Hong JH, Jiang Y, Chai KXY, Li Y, Wang P, Wang Y, Gao J, Zeng X, Xiao R, He H, Guan P, Chan JY, Lim JQ, Jeyasekharan AD, Dachuan H, Bei JX, Teh BT, Lim ST, Yu Q, Ong CK, Huang H, Tan J. Priming with DNMT Inhibitors Potentiates PD-1 Immunotherapy by Triggering Viral Mimicry in Relapsed/Refractory NK/T-cell Lymphoma. Cancer Discov. 2025 Dec 2;15(12):2450-2467. PMID: 41088524. Impact factor: 33.300. (Co-Corresponding author). 
4. Kim SJ, Lim JQ, Yoon SE, Yang DH, Lee JH, Oh SY, Choi YS, Jeong SH, Kim MK, Lim SN, Cho J, Park B, Ryu KJ, Choi S, Park Y, Lim KMH, Binte Muhammad Taib NA, Ong CK, Lim ST, Kim WS. Efficacy of Combined CD38 and PD1 Inhibition with Isatuximab and Cemiplimab for Relapsed/Refractory NK/T-Cell Lymphoma. Blood. 2025 Jul 10;146(2):155-166. PMID: 40073374. Impact factor: 21.000. (Co-author) 
5. Wang J, Yau CE, Low CE, Bin Hasan Mohamed MH, Cheng CL, Neff JL, Lim JQ, Lim ST, Chan JY, Ong CK, Yang VS. Indolent nodal T follicular helper cell lymphomas-A case series. Blood Cancer J. 2024 Nov 26;14(1):205. PMID: 39592567. Impact factor: 12.900. (Co-Corresponding author). 
6. Chan JY, Loh JW, Lim JQ, Liany H, Lee ECY, Lee JY, Kannan B, Lim BY, Guo Z, Lim KMH, Ha JCH, Ng CC, Ko TK, Huang D, Seow DYB, Cheng CL, Chan SH, Ngeow J, Teh BT, Lim ST, Ong CK. Single-cell landscape of idiopathic Multicentric Castleman Disease in identical twins. Blood. 2024 May 2;143(18):1837-1844. (Corresponding author). PMID: 38170173. Impact Factor: 20.300. 
7. Zhou J, Toh SH, Tan TK, Balan K, Lim JQ, Tan TZ, Xiong S, Jia Y, Ng SB, Peng Y, Jeyasekharan AD, Fan S, Lim ST, Ong CJ, Ong CK, Sanda T, Chng WJ. Super-enhancer-driven TOX2 mediates oncogenesis in Natural Killer/T Cell Lymphoma. Mol Cancer. 2023 Apr 10;22(1):69. PMID: 37032358. (Co-Corresponding author). Impact Factor: 41.444. 
8. Chen J, Zuo Z, Gao Y, Yao X, Guan P, Wang Y, Li Z, Liu Z, Hong JH, Deng P, Chan JY, Cheah DMZ, Lim J, Chai KXY, Chia BKH, Pang JWL, Koh J, Huang D, He H, Sun Y, Liu L, Liu S, Huang Y, Wang X, You H, Saraf SA, Grigoropoulos NF, Li X, Bei J, Kang T, Lim ST, Teh BT, Huang H, Ong CK, Tan J. Aberrant JAK-STAT signaling-mediated chromatin remodeling impairs the sensitivity of NK/T-cell lymphoma to chidamide. Clin Epigenetics. 2023 Feb 6;15(1):19. PMID: 36740715. (Co-Corresponding author). Impact Factor: 7.259. 
9. Lim JQ, Huang D, Chan JY, Laurensia Y, Wong EKY, Cheah DMZ, Chia BKH, Chuang WY, Kuo MC, Su YJ, Cai QQ, Feng Y, Rao H, Feng LN, Wei PP, Chen JR, Han BW, Lin GW, Cai J, Fang Y, Tan J, Hong H, Liu Y, Zhang F, Li W, Poon MLM, Ng SB, Jeyasekharan A, Ha JCH, Khoo LP, Chin ST, Pang WL, Kee R, Cheng CL, Grigoropoulos NF, Tang T, Tao M, Farid M, Puan KJ, Xiong J, Zhao WL, Khor CC, Hwang W, Kim WS, Campo E, Tan P, Teh BT, Chng WJ, Rötzschke O, Tousseyn T, Huang HQ, Rozen S, Lim ST, Shih LY, Bei JX, Ong CK. A genomic-augmented multivariate prognostic model for the survival of Natural-killer/T-cell lymphoma patients from an international cohort. Am J Hematol. 2022 Sep;97(9):1159-1169. PMID: 35726449. (Corresponding author). Impact Factor: 13.265. 
10. Lim JQ, Lim ST, Ong CK. Misaligned sequencing reads from the GNAQ-pseudogene locus may yield GNAQ artefact variants. Nat Commun. 2022 Jan 24;13(1):458. PMID: 35075133. (Corresponding author). Impact Factor: 14.919.