Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 7, 2026

Isolation Method for Long-Term and Short-Term Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Published on: May 19, 2023
Myeloma stem cell concepts, heterogeneity and plasticity of multiple myeloma
Roman Hajek1, Samuel A Okubote, Hana Svachova
1Babak Myeloma Group, Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Haemato-oncology, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic; Department of Clinical Haematology, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic; Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic.
Abstract:
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a haematological malignancy characterized by the accumulation of clonal plasma cells (PCs) in the bone marrow (BM). Although novel therapeutic strategies have prolonged survival of patients, the disease remains difficult to treat with a high risk of relapse. The failure of therapy is thought to be associated with a persistent population of the so-called MM stem cells or myeloma initiating cells (MIC) that exhibit tumour-initiating potential, self-renewal and resistance to chemotherapy. However, the population responsible for the origin and sustainability of tumour mass has not been clearly characterized so far. This review summarizes current myeloma stem cell concepts and suggests that high phenotypic and intra-clonal heterogeneity, together with plasticity potential of MM might be other contributing factors explaining discrepancies among particular concepts and contributing to the treatment failure.
More Related Videos
10:04Establishment of a Human Multiple Myeloma Xenograft Model in the Chicken to Study Tumor Growth, Invasion and Angiogenesis
Published on: May 1, 2015
09:41An Organotypic High Throughput System for Characterization of Drug Sensitivity of Primary Multiple Myeloma Cells
Published on: July 15, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Multipotency of Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
Differentiation of Common Myeloid Progenitor Cells
Source And Potency Of Stem Cells
Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Distinctive Features of Adult Stem Cells vs Cancer Stem Cells
Adult stem cells
Adult stem cells are tissue-specific; hence, they divide to develop the tissue from which they originate. One type of adult stem cell is the epithelial stem cell, which gives rise to the keratinocytes in the multiple layers of epithelial cells in the epidermis of the skin. Adult bone marrow has three distinct types of stem cells:...