HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY

Cellular and Molecular Biology

 

Review

The role of the bone marrow microenvironment in multiple myeloma

H.R. De Raeve1 and K. Vanderkerken2

1Department of Pathology, University of Antwerp (UA), Antwerp and 2Department of Haematology and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium

Offprint requests to: Dr. Hendrik de Raeve, University Hospital Antwerp, Department of Pathology, Wilrijkstraat 10, B-2650 Edegen, Belgium. e-mail: hendrik.de.raeve@uza.be


Summary. Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant disease that results from an excess of monotypic plasma cells in the bone marrow (BM). This malignancy is characterised by complex karyotypic aberrancies. In 60% of all MM there are recurrent primary translocations involving the heavy chain gene locus. The MM cells strongly interact with the BM microenvironment, which is composed of endothelial cells, stromal cells, osteoclasts, osteoblasts, immune cells, fat cells and the extracellular matrix. This interaction is responsible for the specific homing in the BM, the proliferation and survival of the MM cells, the resistance of MM cells to chemotherapy, the development of osteolysis, immunodeficiency and anaemia. New therapeutic agents target both the MM, as well as the interaction MM cell – BM microenviroment. Histol Hitopathol 20, 1227-1250 (2005)

Key words: Multiple myeloma, Microenvironment, Osteoclast, Bone marrow stromal cell

DOI: 10.14670/HH-20.1227