The role of the bone marrow microenvironment in the pathophysiology of myeloma and its significance in the development of more effective therapies

• Published in: Hematology/oncology clinics of North America Vol. 21; no. 6; p. 1007
• Main Authors: Mitsiades, Constantine S, McMillin, Douglas W, Klippel, Steffen, Hideshima, Teru, Chauhan, Dharminder, Richardson, Paul G, Munshi, Nikhil C, Anderson, Kenneth C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.12.2007
• Subjects: Bone Marrow - physiology; Cell Communication - physiology; Humans; Multiple Myeloma - physiopathology; Multiple Myeloma - therapy; Osteoclasts - physiology; Stromal Cells - physiology
• ISSN: 0889-8588; 1558-1977
• DOI: 10.1016/j.hoc.2007.08.007

Multiple myeloma (MM) is viewed as a prototypic disease state for the study of how neoplastic cells interact with their local bone marrow (BM) microenvironment. This interaction reflects not only the osteo-tropic clinical behavior of MM and the clinical impact of the lytic bone lesions caused by its tumor cells but also underlines the broadly accepted notion that nonneoplastic cells of the BM can attenuate the activity of cytotoxic chemotherapy and glucocorticoids. This article summarizes the recent progress in characterization, at the molecular and cellular levels, of how the BM milieu interacts with MM cells and modifies their biologic behavior.