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Cancer

Dysregulation of Bone Marrow Niche Alters Composition and State of Resident Immune Cells in Multiple Myeloma

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, have found that dysregulation of the bone marrow niche in multiple myeloma alters the composition and state of resident immune cells, potentially impeding antitumor immunity. This study, published in the Blood Journal, investigated the extent of T-cell exhaustion in multiple myeloma patients and its role in immune evasion.

Key Takeaways:

  • The bone marrow niche in multiple myeloma is dysregulated, altering the composition and state of resident immune cells.
  • T-cell exhaustion is not well characterized in multiple myeloma, with no evidence of "tumor-experienced" T cells displaying hallmarks of terminal exhaustion and/or antigen-driven activation/expansion.
  • The study found an exhausted-like population in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma that lacked several canonical exhaustion markers.
  • An activated population with increased frequency in the peripheral blood of patients with multiple myeloma was also observed, exhibiting phenotypic and clonal features consistent with homeostatic, cytokine-driven activation.
  • There was no evidence of functionally exhausted T cells in patients with multiple myeloma at any time point.

Statistics:

  • 2025: The year the study was published.
  • 26: The issue number of the Blood Journal in which the study was published.
  • 3113-3123: The page numbers of the study in the Blood Journal.
  • 145: The volume number of the Blood Journal in which the study was published.
  • 1043 Nx Amsterdam, Netherlands: The address of the publisher, Elsevier.
  • 1100 Fairview Ave N S2-204, Seattle, WA 98109, United States: The address of the contact researcher, Evan W. Newell.
  • 12: The funding sources mentioned in the study, including the Cancer Research Institute Irvington Post-doctoral Fellowship, the American Society of Hematology Fellow Scholar Award, and the NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Sources:

  • Hallmarks of T-cell Exhaustion and Antigen Experience Are Absent In Multiple Myeloma From Diagnosis To Maintenance Therapy. Blood Journal, 2025;145(26):3113-3123.
  • NewsRx. Researchers from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Report New Studies and Findings in the Area of Multiple Myeloma (Hallmarks of T-cell Exhaustion and Antigen Experience Are Absent In Multiple Myeloma From Diagnosis To Maintenance Therapy). Hematology Week. July 28, 2025; p 4123.

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