PDCD2 (programmed cell death 2) functions as an evolutionarily conserved molecular chaperone dedicated to ribosomal protein uS5 (RPS2) 1. The protein specifically interacts with uS5 co-translationally in the cytoplasm and accompanies it to ribosome assembly sites in the nucleus, facilitating incorporation of uS5 into the 40S ribosomal subunit 1. Loss of PDCD2 leads to defects in small ribosomal subunit synthesis and reduced accumulation of soluble uS5 protein 1. Recent studies have identified biallelic PDCD2 variants causing an autosomal recessive ribosomal biogenesis disorder resulting in nonimmune hydrops fetalis and pregnancy loss, with patient cells showing reduced PDCD2-uS5 binding and altered ribosomal RNA processing 2. PDCD2 also plays a role in lymphoma pathogenesis, as it is a direct transcriptional target of the BCL6 repressor 34. In B-cell lymphomas, BCL6 binds directly to the PDCD2 promoter and represses its expression, with an inverse relationship observed between BCL6 and PDCD2 protein levels in lymphoid tissues 3. Additionally, PDCD2 functions as a critical regulator of cell growth by modulating cell cycle progression in T lymphoblasts 5.