Characterization of possible clonal origin and gene expression profile of human stromal cells derived from bone marrow of patients with multiple myeloma

• Grant number: 12/23496-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2013
• End date: December 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Gisele Wally Braga Colleoni
• Grantee: Rodrigo Carlini Fernando
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 10/17668-6 - Identification of biomarkers and possible therapeutical targets in B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders, AP.TEM

Abstract

Increasing evidence points to the critical role of the microenvironment of the bone marrow (BM) in the progression of Multiple Myeloma (MM). Through interactions with different cell types present in the BM, MM cells can survive and evade the immune system of the individual. Among these cells, stand out the stromal cells, which besides facilitating the permanence of tumor cells in the BM microenvironment, also synthesize and secrete various cytokines and growth factors responsible for the proliferation, survival, migration, and drug resistance of MM cells. Although most studies consider that cells of the tumor microenvironment do not have clonal origin, recent evidence has revealed that several stromal cells derived from patients with MM showed significant differences compared to those derived from normal individuals, ranging from differences in gene and protein expression to allelic changes. Thus, the study of clonal origin of stromal cells derived from BM of patients with MM, as well as its gene expression profile by oligonucleotide microarray, may contribute to the discovery of new biomarkers and/or therapeutic targets for this disease that still remains incurable. (AU)