Leukemia(2018)32:1500–1514https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-018-0061-9REVIEWARTICLEMultiplemyeloma,gammopathiesMesenchymalstemcellsinmultiplemyeloma:atherapeuticaltoolortarget?SongXu1●KimDeVeirman2,3●AnnDeBecker2●KarinVanderkerken3●IvanVanRiet2,3Received:5August2017/Revised:8January2018/Accepted:16January2018/Publishedonline:22February2018©TheAuthor(s)2018.ThisarticleispublishedwithopenaccessAbstractMultiplemyeloma(MM)isamalignantplasmacell(PC)disorder,characterizedbyacomplexinteractivenetworkoftumourcellsandthebonemarrow(BM)stromalmicroenvironment,contributingtoMMcellsurvival,proliferationandchemoresistance.Mesenchymalstemcells(MSCs)representthepredominantstemcellpopulationofthebonemarrowstroma,capableofdifferentiatingintomultiplecelllineages,includingfibroblasts,adipocytes,chondrocytesandosteoblasts.MSCscanmigratetowardsprimarytumoursandmetastaticsites,implyingthatthesecellsmightmodulatetumourgrowthandmetastasis.However,thisissueremainscontroversialandisnotwellunderstood.Interestingly,severalrecentstudieshaveshownfunctionalabnormalitiesofMMpatient-derivedMSCsindicatingthatMSCsarenotjustby-standersintheBMmicroenvironmentbutratheractiveplayersinthepathophysiologyofthisdisease.ItappearsthatthecomplexinteractionofMSCsandMMcellsiscriticalforMMdevelopmentanddiseaseoutcome.ThisreviewwillfocusonthecurrentunderstandingofthebiologicalroleofMSCsinMMaswellasthepotentialutilityofMSC-basedtherapiesinthismalignancy.IntroductionMultiplemyeloma(MM)isahaematologicalmalignancycharacterizedbyaclonalproliferationofplasmacellsinthebonemarrow(BM)andthepresenceofmonoclonalimmunoglobulininthebloodand/orurine.Amajorchar-acteristicofthisdiseaseisthepredominantlocalizationofMMcellsintheBM.ThecrosstalkbetweenBMstromalcellsandMMcellssupportstheproliferation,survival,migrationanddrugresistanceofMMcells,aswellasosteoclastogenesisandangiogenesis.Mesenchymalstemcells(MSCs)areself-renewingandmultipotentprogenitorsthatcandifferentiateintoavarietyofcelltypes,suchasadipocytes,endothelialcells,os...
