Researchers at Cima Universidad de Navarra have discovered the mechanisms used by multiple myeloma to deceive the immune system of patients.

Multiple myeloma is an haematological cancer that affects the bone marrow and is characterized by its resistance to conventional treatments, which causes relapses in patients. The study suggests that cells in this neoplasm can modulate the environment surrounding the tumour (its microenvironment) in the body, thus favouring tumour development and resistance to current therapies.

"One of the main components of the bone marrow microenvironment are stem cells, or mesenchymal progenitors, capable of giving rise to different components of the marrow. Using massive sequencing technologies, we have described for the first time how tumour cells from multiple myeloma patients contribute to blocking differentiation of mesenchymal cells. Besides, they promote a permissive immune environment in the marrow," explains Dr Borja Sáez, co-author of the work with Dr Daniel Alameda, both researchers of the Haemato-oncology Program at Cima Universidad de Navarra.

Involvement in conventional treatment

These results, confirmed in a joint study of the Cima and the University of Navarra Clinic, suggest that mesenchymal cells in the bone marrow of patients with multiple myeloma could decrease the effects of conventional treatments and even immunotherapy.

Drs Jesús San Miguel and Patricia Maiso form Clinica Universidad de Navarra directed this work under the framework of the Institute of Health Research of Navarra (IdISNA). It counted with funding from several institutions, including the Spanish Association Against Cancer (Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer- AECC).

• Bibliographic reference:
  Characterization of freshly isolated mesenchymal stromal cells from healthy and multiple myeloma bone marrow: transcriptional modulation of the microenvironment.
  
  Haematologica January 2020: 
  haematol.2019.235135; Doi:10.3324/haematol.2019.235135