Development
of novel therapeutic approaches for a bone disease in myeloma
Masahiro Abe
Department of
Medicine and Bioregulatory Sciences
University of
Myeloma cells
stimulate bone resorption by enhancing osteoclast formation while suppressing bone formation. Macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1a and MIP-1b as well as RANK ligand play a major role in the
enhancement of bone resorption in myeloma. Myeloma cell-derived soluble Wnt inhibitors as well as TGF- b released
from the bone through enhanced bone resorption suppress
osteoblast differentiation. Such pathognomonically skewed cellular components in the bone marrow create a
microenvironment suitable for myeloma cell growth and
survival, which can be called as a “myeloma niche”. We
need to target the myeloma niche to suppress myeloma expansion along with amelioration of bone lesions.