H e m a t o lo g y E d u c a t io n - European Hematology Association
H e m a t o lo g y E d u c a t io n - European Hematology Association
H e m a t o lo g y E d u c a t io n - European Hematology Association
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16 th Congress of the <strong>European</strong> Hemato<strong>lo</strong>gy Associat<strong>io</strong>n<br />
found to contribute to ang<strong>io</strong>genesis in MM, 18 and OPN<br />
express<strong>io</strong>n correlated with bone marrow microvascular<br />
density. 19<br />
Matrix metal<strong>lo</strong>proteinase-2 and -9 (MMP-2 and<br />
MMP-9) secret<strong>io</strong>n is increased in patients with active<br />
versus nonactive MM or MGUS. 9 A number of MM cell<br />
lines and freshly isolated bone marrow plasma cells produce<br />
MMP-9, although correlat<strong>io</strong>n with disease activity<br />
has not been assessed. 20 MMP secret<strong>io</strong>n of MM cells is<br />
triggered by BMSCs or endothelial cells. 21<br />
We have demonstrated that platelet-derived growth<br />
factor (PDGF)-receptor beta (PDGFRβ) and pp60-Src as<br />
constitutively activated tyrosine kinases (TKs) are<br />
expressed in plasma cells of MM patients. 22 The PDGF-<br />
BB/PDGFRβ axis promoted MM tumor growth by activating<br />
ERK-1/2 and AKT, and this activity was selectively<br />
induced by VEGF.<br />
Airoldi et al. demonstrated that IL-12 receptor B2 (IL-<br />
12Rβ2) was expressed in primary MM cells but downregulated<br />
compared with normal plasma cells. 23 IL-12<br />
reduced the pro-ang<strong>io</strong>genic activity of primary MM<br />
cells in vitro and decreased significantly the tumorigenicity<br />
of NCI-H929 cell line in SCID/NOD mice by inhibiting<br />
cell proliferat<strong>io</strong>n and ang<strong>io</strong>genesis.<br />
Hose et al. have reported that normal bone marrow<br />
plasma cells express several ang<strong>io</strong>genic genes, including<br />
VEGF-A, IGF-1, and adrenomedullin (ADM), and their<br />
culture supernatants significantly induce in vitro ang<strong>io</strong>genesis.<br />
24 MM plasma cells show a pattern of aberrant<br />
express<strong>io</strong>n of several ang<strong>io</strong>genic factors, and culture<br />
supernatants of primary MM cells and human cell lines<br />
induce in vitro ang<strong>io</strong>genesis. However, none of these factors<br />
was expressed in any of the MM patients’ samples,<br />
and no correlat<strong>io</strong>n with microvascular density could be<br />
found.<br />
The role of the bone marrow microenvironment<br />
The MM microenvironment is formed by c<strong>lo</strong>nal plasma<br />
cells, extracellular matrix proteins, and BMSCs,<br />
which are intimately involved in all b<strong>io</strong><strong>lo</strong>gical stages of<br />
intramedullary growth. 25 Reciprocal positive and negative<br />
interact<strong>io</strong>ns between plasma cells and BMSCs are<br />
mediated by an array of cytokines, receptors, and adhes<strong>io</strong>n<br />
molecules. Interact<strong>io</strong>ns between these components<br />
give proliferat<strong>io</strong>n, migrat<strong>io</strong>n, and survival of plasma<br />
cells, as well as their drug resistance. 26–28 Plasma cells<br />
secrete several cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor<br />
alpha (TNF-α), 29 transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β),<br />
VEGF, FGF-2, 9 HGF, 12,13 Ang-1, 14 and MMPs, 9 into their<br />
microenvironment. Moreover, binding of plasma cells to<br />
BMSCs triggers transcript<strong>io</strong>n and secret<strong>io</strong>n of cytokines<br />
by the latter, such as IL-6, 8 IGF-1, 30 VEGF, 31 and<br />
CXCL12/stromal cell derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) 32 that<br />
mediate cell growth (IL-6, IGF-1, VEGF), survival (IL-6,<br />
IGF-1), drug resistance (IL-6, IGF-1, VEGF), migrat<strong>io</strong>n<br />
(IGF-1, VEGF, MMPs, SDF-1α), and ang<strong>io</strong>genesis (VEGF).<br />
The role of bone marrow endothelial cells<br />
Vacca et al. demonstrated that the endothelial cells<br />
of MM bone marrow (MMECs) are characterized by<br />
an enhanced express<strong>io</strong>n of specific ang<strong>io</strong>genic factors/receptors,<br />
such as VEGF/VEGFR-2, FGF-2/FGF-<br />
2R-2, and Ang-2/Tie-2, and by an increased in vitro<br />
and in vivo ang<strong>io</strong>genic activity. 33 These endothelial<br />
cells express more mRNA and secrete larger amounts<br />
of the CXC-chemokines CXCL8/IL-8, CXCL11/interferon-inducible<br />
T-cell alpha chemoattractant (I-TAC),<br />
CXCL12/SDF-1α, and CCL2/monocyte chemotactic<br />
protein-1 (MCP-1) than human umbilical vein<br />
endothelial cells (HUVECs). Since paired plasma cells<br />
express cognate receptors to a variable extent,<br />
paracrine <strong>lo</strong>ops between MMECs and plasma cells<br />
involving CXC-chemokines and their receptors may<br />
be operative in patients and mediate plasma cell proliferat<strong>io</strong>n<br />
and homing. 32<br />
We have demonstrated that pp60c-Src is a key signaling<br />
effector of the VEGF <strong>lo</strong>op required for MMECs’ survival,<br />
migrat<strong>io</strong>n and ang<strong>io</strong>genesis, and assessed the<br />
antiang<strong>io</strong>genic activity of dasatinib, a novel orally b<strong>io</strong>active<br />
PDGFRβ/Src TK-inhibitor that significantly delayed<br />
MM ang<strong>io</strong>genesis in vivo. 22<br />
We have carried out a comparative gene express<strong>io</strong>n<br />
profiling of MMECs versus MGUS endothelial cells<br />
(MGECs) with an Affymetrix assay. 34 Twenty-two<br />
genes were found differentially expressed (14 downregulated<br />
and 8 up-regulated) in MMECs versus<br />
MGECs. Deregulated genes were mostly involved in<br />
extracellular matrix format<strong>io</strong>n and bone remodeling, cell<br />
adhes<strong>io</strong>n, chemotaxis, ang<strong>io</strong>genesis, resistance to apoptosis,<br />
and cell-cycle regulat<strong>io</strong>n. Validat<strong>io</strong>n was focused<br />
on DIRAS3, SERPINF1, SRPX, BNIP3, IER3, and SEPW1<br />
genes, which were not prev<strong>io</strong>usly found to be funct<strong>io</strong>nally<br />
correlated to the overang<strong>io</strong>genic phenotype of<br />
MMECs. Small interfering RNA for the up-regulated<br />
genes BNIP3, IER3, and SEPW1 affected critical<br />
endothelial cell funct<strong>io</strong>ns mediating this overang<strong>io</strong>genic<br />
phenotype, for example, proliferat<strong>io</strong>n, apoptosis, adhes<strong>io</strong>n,<br />
and capillary tube format<strong>io</strong>n.<br />
The role of circulating endothelial cells<br />
and endothelial precursor cells<br />
Zhang et al. demonstrated that circulating endothelial<br />
cells (CECs) and endothelial precursor cells (EPCs) in<br />
peripheral b<strong>lo</strong>od were six-fold higher in MM patients<br />
than in controls and correlated with serum M protein<br />
and β2-microg<strong>lo</strong>bulin. 35 Circulating EPCs displayed late<br />
co<strong>lo</strong>ny format<strong>io</strong>n/outgrowth and capillary-like network<br />
format<strong>io</strong>n, which were inhibited by thalidomide treatment.<br />
Co-express<strong>io</strong>n of VEGFR-2 and CD133 characterized<br />
EPCs and VEGFR-2 mRNA elevat<strong>io</strong>ns correlated<br />
with the M protein levels.<br />
We have demonstrated that in patients with active<br />
MM, plasma cells and stromal cells in the microenvironment<br />
recruit hematopoietic stem precursor cells<br />
(HSPCs) and induce their differentiat<strong>io</strong>n into mature<br />
MMECs. 36 In fact, when incubated with VEGF, FGF-2,<br />
and IGF, HSPCs differentiate into endothelial-like cells<br />
expressing typical endothelial markers, such as FVIII-<br />
RA, VEGFR-2, and VE-cadherin, and form capillary-like<br />
networks in vitro. 36 Bone marrow MM but not MGUS<br />
b<strong>io</strong>psies revealed HPSCs inside the neovessel wall, suggesting<br />
that in the former, HSPCs contribute to the<br />
| 274 | Hemato<strong>lo</strong>gy Educat<strong>io</strong>n: the educat<strong>io</strong>n programme for the annual congress of the <strong>European</strong> Hemato<strong>lo</strong>gy Associat<strong>io</strong>n | 2011; 5(1)