scholarly journals Functional dissection of inherited non-coding variation influencing multiple myeloma risk

2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ram Ajore ◽  
Abhishek Niroula ◽  
Maroulio Pertesi ◽  
Caterina Cafaro ◽  
Malte Thodberg ◽  
...  

AbstractThousands of non-coding variants have been associated with increased risk of human diseases, yet the causal variants and their mechanisms-of-action remain obscure. In an integrative study combining massively parallel reporter assays (MPRA), expression analyses (eQTL, meQTL, PCHiC) and chromatin accessibility analyses in primary cells (caQTL), we investigate 1,039 variants associated with multiple myeloma (MM). We demonstrate that MM susceptibility is mediated by gene-regulatory changes in plasma cells and B-cells, and identify putative causal variants at six risk loci (SMARCD3, WAC, ELL2, CDCA7L, CEP120, and PREX1). Notably, three of these variants co-localize with significant plasma cell caQTLs, signaling the presence of causal activity at these precise genomic positions in an endogenous chromosomal context in vivo. Our results provide a systematic functional dissection of risk loci for a hematologic malignancy.

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 5023-5023
Author(s):  
Susana Hernández-García ◽  
Mercè de Frias ◽  
Clara Campàs ◽  
Bruno Paiva ◽  
Enrique M. Ocio ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 5023 Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignancy characterized by the accumulation of plasma cells. The disease represents the second most common hematologic malignancy and remains incurable, despite recent advances in its treatment. Therefore, studies to develop new therapies are still necessary, particularly in patients with bad prognostic factors, such as 17p deleted/p53 mutated patients. In this study we describe the preclinical activity of 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1–4-ribofuranoside (AICAR or acadesine) in multiple myeloma. Acadesine is an analog of AMP that is widely used as an activator of AMP-kinase (AMPK), a protein that regulates the responses of the cell to energy changes. Acadesine induces apoptosis in different cell types including CLL, mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and splenic marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (SMZL) cells and tumor cell lines, without affecting primary T lymphocytes. Thus, acadesine is a promising drug for the treatment of B-cell neoplasms. A clinical phase I/II study of acadesine is currently being performed in CLL patients. We studied the effects of acadesine on the MTT metabolization of several multiple myeloma cell lines (MM1S, MM1R, RPMI-8266, RPMI-LR5, U266, U266-LR7, U266 Dox4, MM144, MGG, SJR, OPM-2, NCIH-929). Acadesine inhibited MM cell growth and induced apoptosis, with IC50 values in the micromolar range, and independently of the p53 mutational status. Cancer treatment, including myeloma, is generally based on combinations of drugs with different mechanisms of action. Thus, we studied the effect of acadesine in double combinations with drugs used in myeloma therapy, such as dexamethasone, melphalan, doxorubicin, bortezomib, and lenalidomide. Analyses of these data using the Chou and Talalay method indicated that acadesine was synergistic with dexamethasone (CI values of 0.60), and particularly with lenalidomide (CI values of 0.42). These promising results with double combinations promoted the investigation of triple combinations in the MM1S cell line. Triple combination of acadesine plus dexamethasone plus lenalidomide or bortezomib notably improved the efficacy of the respective double combinations, being the combination of acadesine plus lenalidomide plus dexamethasone especially efficient. Further studies to determinate the mechanism of action, and in vivo studies in MM1S xenograph are ongoing. Disclosures: de Frias: Advancell: Employment. Campàs:Advancell: Employment.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 3449-3449
Author(s):  
Kumar Sukhdeo ◽  
Mei Zheng ◽  
Teru Hideshima ◽  
Kenneth C. Anderson ◽  
Daniel R. Carrasco

Abstract The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is responsible for protein catabolism by recognizing misfolded and ubiquitin-tagged polypeptides for degradation through the proteasome. In the event of translational errors or insufficient chaperone proteins, newly synthesized peptides fold improperly from their native conformation. In most cellular contexts, the UPS is sufficient to handle normal protein synthesis, misfolding, and turnover. However, exceeding the capacity of the UPS to degrade proteins causes misfolded and ubiquitinated polypeptides to accumulate in cytosolic aggregates, which can amass to form a structure termed the aggresome. While initially providing a cytoprotective effect, the prolonged presence of aggresomes impairs the UPS and eventually leads to cell death. Dense intracellular protein deposits in aggresomes have been linked to the etiology of a number of neurodegenerative disorders. Plasma cells offer a unique system to study a stressed UPS due to their extremely high rate of immunoglobulin synthesis and degree of hyper somatic mutation of variable light chain regions, increasing the probability of protein misfolding. Furthermore, emerging therapies targeting the proteasome, including bortezomib, have shown clinical effectiveness for patients with relapsed multiple myeloma (MM). In order to gain a more complete understanding of the UPS in myeloma, we investigated the presence of aggresomes both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we document ß-catenin as a novel marker of aggresomes in tumor plasma cells. Double immunoflorescence studies in MM cell lines using a ß-catenin antibody revealed colocalization with established aggresomal markers ubiquitin and HDAC6. Aggresome frequency increased upon treatment of proteasome inhibitors. To further validate the biological significance of aggresome formation in vivo, we performed immunohistochemical analysis on tissue microarrays of MGUS and MM bone marrow biopsies. Using a CD138 antibody as a marker of plasma cells, we documented ß-catenin staining in aggresomes of malignant, but not normal plasma cells. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the presence of aggresomes in tumor plasma cells. The frequency and intensity of aggresome staining was correlated with clinical evolution, as few were detected in the pre-malignant condition of MGUS, but clearly detectable in nearly all MM cases. We have found that the number of aggresomes in cell lines increases when cells are transplanted into the SCID-human xenograft mouse model of MM. This finding suggests that a signal emanating from the stroma may influence the UPS and aggresome formation in vivo. We extended our study to other plasma cell dyscrasia including plasmacytoma and lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma cases to demonstrate the presence of aggresomes, but to a lesser extent than MM. These data indicate possible defects in any of the junctures in the protein degradation pathway including the proteasome, aggresome, and autophagasome/lysosome. On-going experiments are investigating the correlation of the lysosomal defect in Gaucher’s disease associated with increased risk of MM. This study represents the first in vivo documentation of aggresome formation in lymphoid malignancies, providing new insights into disease pathogenesis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lavinia Raimondi ◽  
Angela De Luca ◽  
Gianluca Giavaresi ◽  
Agnese Barone ◽  
Pierosandro Tagliaferri ◽  
...  

: Chemoprevention is based on the use of non-toxic, pharmacologically active agents to prevent tumor progression. In this regard, natural dietary agents have been described by the most recent literature as promising tools for controlling onset and progression of malignancies. Extensive research has been so far performed to shed light on the effects of natural products on tumor growth and survival, disclosing the most relevant signal transduction pathways targeted by such compounds. Overall, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and cytotoxic effects of dietary agents on tumor cells are supported either by results from epidemiological or animal studies and even by clinical trials. : Multiple myeloma is a hematologic malignancy characterized by abnormal proliferation of bone marrow plasma cells and subsequent hypercalcemia, renal dysfunction, anemia, or bone disease, which remains incurable despite novel emerging therapeutic strategies. Notably, increasing evidence supports the capability of dietary natural compounds to antagonize multiple myeloma growth in preclinical models of the disease, underscoring their potential as candidate anti-cancer agents. : In this review, we aim at summarizing findings on the anti-tumor activity of dietary natural products, focusing on their molecular mechanisms, which include inhibition of oncogenic signal transduction pathways and/or epigenetic modulating effects, along with their potential clinical applications against multiple myeloma and its related bone disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 4451
Author(s):  
Coralia Cotoraci ◽  
Alina Ciceu ◽  
Alciona Sasu ◽  
Eftimie Miutescu ◽  
Anca Hermenean

Multiple myeloma (MM) is one of the most widespread hematological cancers. It is characterized by a clonal proliferation of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow and by the overproduction of monoclonal proteins. In recent years, the survival rate of patients with multiple myeloma has increased significantly due to the use of transplanted stem cells and of the new therapeutic agents that have significantly increased the survival rate, but it still cannot be completely cured and therefore the development of new therapeutic products is needed. Moreover, many patients have various side effects and face the development of drug resistance to current therapies. The purpose of this review is to highlight the bioactive active compounds (flavonoids) and herbal extracts which target dysregulated signaling pathway in MM, assessed by in vitro and in vivo experiments or clinical studies, in order to explore their healing potential targeting multiple myeloma. Mechanistically, they demonstrated the ability to promote cell cycle blockage and apoptosis or autophagy in cancer cells, as well as inhibition of proliferation/migration/tumor progression, inhibition of angiogenesis in the tumor vascular network. Current research provides valuable new information about the ability of flavonoids to enhance the apoptotic effects of antineoplastic drugs, thus providing viable therapeutic options based on combining conventional and non-conventional therapies in MM therapeutic protocols.


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 640-660
Author(s):  
Grace Lassiter ◽  
Cole Bergeron ◽  
Ryan Guedry ◽  
Julia Cucarola ◽  
Adam M. Kaye ◽  
...  

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematologic malignancy characterized by excessive clonal proliferation of plasma cells. The treatment of multiple myeloma presents a variety of unique challenges due to the complex molecular pathophysiology and incurable status of the disease at this time. Given that MM is the second most common blood cancer with a characteristic and unavoidable relapse/refractory state during the course of the disease, the development of new therapeutic modalities is crucial. Belantamab mafodotin (belamaf, GSK2857916) is a first-in-class therapeutic, indicated for patients who have previously attempted four other treatments, including an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, a proteosome inhibitor, and an immunomodulatory agent. In November 2017, the FDA designated belamaf as a breakthrough therapy for heavily pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. In August 2020, the FDA granted accelerated approval as a monotherapy for relapsed or treatment-refractory multiple myeloma. The drug was also approved in the EU for this indication in late August 2020. Of note, belamaf is associated with the following adverse events: decreased platelets, corneal disease, decreased or blurred vision, anemia, infusion-related reactions, pyrexia, and fetal risk, among others. Further studies are necessary to evaluate efficacy in comparison to other standard treatment modalities and as future drugs in this class are developed.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Roseth Aass ◽  
Robin Mjelle ◽  
Martin H. Kastnes ◽  
Synne S. Tryggestad ◽  
Luca M. van den Brink ◽  
...  

AbstractIL-32 is a non-classical cytokine expressed in cancers, inflammatory diseases and infections. IL-32 can have both extracellular and intracellular functions, and its receptor is not identified. We here demonstrate that endogenously expressed, intracellular IL-32 binds to components of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and promotes oxidative phosphorylation. Knocking out IL-32 in malignant plasma cells significantly reduced survival and proliferation in vitro and in vivo. High throughput transcriptomic and MS-metabolomic profiling of IL-32 KO cells revealed that loss of IL-32 leads to profound perturbations in metabolic pathways, with accumulation of lipids, pyruvate precursors and citrate, indicative of reduced mitochondrial function. IL-32 is expressed in a subgroup of multiple myeloma patients with an inferior prognosis. Primary myeloma cells expressing IL-32 were characterized by a plasma cell gene signature associated with immune activation, proliferation and oxidative phosphorylation. We propose a novel concept for regulation of metabolism by an intracellular cytokine and identify IL-32 as an endogenous growth and survival factor for malignant plasma cells. IL-32 is a potential prognostic biomarker and a treatment target in multiple myeloma.


Cells ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 292
Author(s):  
Ada-Sophia Clees ◽  
Verena Stolp ◽  
Björn Häupl ◽  
Dominik C. Fuhrmann ◽  
Frank Wempe ◽  
...  

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematologic malignancy, which is characterized by clonal proliferation of neoplastic plasma cells in the bone marrow. This microenvironment is characterized by low oxygen levels (1–6% O2), known as hypoxia. For MM cells, hypoxia is a physiologic feature that has been described to promote an aggressive phenotype and to confer drug resistance. However, studies on hypoxia are scarce and show little conformity. Here, we analyzed the mRNA expression of previously determined hypoxia markers to define the temporal adaptation of MM cells to chronic hypoxia. Subsequent analyses of the global proteome in MM cells and the stromal cell line HS-5 revealed hypoxia-dependent regulation of proteins, which directly or indirectly upregulate glycolysis. In addition, chronic hypoxia led to MM-specific regulation of nine distinct proteins. One of these proteins is the cysteine protease legumain (LGMN), the depletion of which led to a significant growth disadvantage of MM cell lines that is enhanced under hypoxia. Thus, herein, we report a methodologic strategy to examine MM cells under physiologic hypoxic conditions in vitro and to decipher and study previously masked hypoxia-specific therapeutic targets such as the cysteine protease LGMN.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 5949
Author(s):  
Anna Y. Aksenova ◽  
Anna S. Zhuk ◽  
Artem G. Lada ◽  
Irina V. Zotova ◽  
Elena I. Stepchenkova ◽  
...  

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant neoplasm of terminally differentiated immunoglobulin-producing B lymphocytes called plasma cells. MM is the second most common hematologic malignancy, and it poses a heavy economic and social burden because it remains incurable and confers a profound disability to patients. Despite current progress in MM treatment, the disease invariably recurs, even after the transplantation of autologous hematopoietic stem cells (ASCT). Biological processes leading to a pathological myeloma clone and the mechanisms of further evolution of the disease are far from complete understanding. Genetically, MM is a complex disease that demonstrates a high level of heterogeneity. Myeloma genomes carry numerous genetic changes, including structural genome variations and chromosomal gains and losses, and these changes occur in combinations with point mutations affecting various cellular pathways, including genome maintenance. MM genome instability in its extreme is manifested in mutation kataegis and complex genomic rearrangements: chromothripsis, templated insertions, and chromoplexy. Chemotherapeutic agents used to treat MM add another level of complexity because many of them exacerbate genome instability. Genome abnormalities are driver events and deciphering their mechanisms will help understand the causes of MM and play a pivotal role in developing new therapies.


Leukemia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 1743-1751 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Hipp ◽  
Y-T Tai ◽  
D Blanset ◽  
P Deegen ◽  
J Wahl ◽  
...  

Abstract B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) is a highly plasma cell-selective protein that is expressed on malignant plasma cells of multiple myeloma (MM) patients and therefore is an ideal target for T-cell redirecting therapies. We developed a bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) targeting BCMA and CD3ɛ (BI 836909) and studied its therapeutic impacts on MM. BI 836909 induced selective lysis of BCMA-positive MM cells, activation of T cells, release of cytokines and T-cell proliferation; whereas BCMA-negative cells were not affected. Activity of BI 836909 was not influenced by the presence of bone marrow stromal cells, soluble BCMA or a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL). In ex vivo assays, BI 836909 induced potent autologous MM cell lysis in both, newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory patient samples. In mouse xenograft studies, BI 836909 induced tumor cell depletion in a subcutaneous NCI-H929 xenograft model and prolonged survival in an orthotopic L-363 xenograft model. In a cynomolgus monkey study, administration of BI 836909 led to depletion of BCMA-positive plasma cells in the bone marrow. Taken together, these results show that BI 836909 is a highly potent and efficacious approach to selectively deplete BCMA-positive MM cells and represents a novel immunotherapeutic for the treatment of MM.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (22) ◽  
pp. 5616-5630
Author(s):  
Tiziana Bruno ◽  
Francesca De Nicola ◽  
Giacomo Corleone ◽  
Valeria Catena ◽  
Frauke Goeman ◽  
...  

Abstract Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematologic malignancy produced by a clonal expansion of plasma cells and characterized by abnormal production and secretion of monoclonal antibodies. This pathology exhibits an enormous heterogeneity resulting not only from genetic alterations but also from several epigenetic dysregulations. Here we provide evidence that Che-1/AATF (Che-1), an interactor of RNA polymerase II, promotes MM proliferation by affecting chromatin structure and sustaining global gene expression. We found that Che-1 depletion leads to a reduction of “active chromatin” by inducing a global decrease of histone acetylation. In this context, Che-1 directly interacts with histones and displaces histone deacetylase class I members from them. Strikingly, transgenic mice expressing human Che-1 in plasma cells develop MM with clinical features resembling those observed in the human disease. Finally, Che-1 downregulation decreases BRD4 chromatin accumulation to further sensitize MM cells to bromodomain and external domain inhibitors. These findings identify Che-1 as a promising target for MM therapy, alone or in combination with bromodomain and external domain inhibitors.


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