0000000000810293

AUTHOR

Valentina Marchica

Myeloma-Induced Alterations of Glutamine Metabolism Impair Bone Microenvironment Niche in Multiple Myeloma Patients

Abstract Multiple myeloma (MM) cells are characterized by tight dependence on the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment that exerts a permissive role on cell growth and survival. In turn, MM cells markedly modify their microenvironment leading, in particular, to the development of osteolytic bone lesions. Recently, we demonstrated that metabolic alterations is a major feature of MM cells showing that BM plasma of MM patients is characterized by lower levels of Glutamine (Gln) and higher levels of Glutamate (Glu) and ammonium when compared with patients with smoldering MM (SMM) and Monoclonal Gammopathy of Uncertain Significance (MGUS). In the majority of MM patients MM cells are Gln-addicted si…

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CD14+CD16+ Monocyte Binding to Myeloma Cells Is Required for Daratumumab Dependent Killing in Multiple Myeloma Patients

Abstract Recently, the introduction of anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, Daratumumab (DARA), in multiple myeloma (MM) therapy has improved the response rate of relapsed MM patients. However only a fraction of the DARA-treated patients respond, thus further studies on DARA mechanisms of action are needed. Because the antibody dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) mediated by monocyte, is one of the mechanisms through DARA exerts its anti-MM activity, an ex-vivo approach was established in order to investigate which mechanisms or patient's immunological characteristics could influence DARA-mediated killing of MM cells. Bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNCs) obtained from 25 MM patients (12 new…

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Relationship between Bone Marrow PD-1 and PD-L1 Expression and the Presence of Osteolytic Bone Disease in Multiple Myeloma Patients

Abstract Alterations of the bone marrow (BM) immune-microenvironment characterize the progression of monoclonal gammopathies and the development of osteolytic bone disease in multiple myeloma (MM). MM patients exhibit immune dysfunctions as impaired dendritic, NK and T cells, whereas the onset of MM osteolytic lesions is associated to an increased prevalence of Th17 cells. Recently, the pathophysiological role of the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) pathway together with an increase of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in the induction of tumor tolerance and immune evasion has been underlined with a therapeutic relevance. However, unclear data on the express…

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