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An Organotypic High Throughput System for Characterization of Drug Sensitivity of Primary Multiple Myeloma Cells
Published on: July 15, 2015
Expression of functional folate receptors in multiple myeloma
Ying Zhou1, Kenji Unno1, Elizabeth Hyjek2
1a Department of Medicine , University of Chicago , Chicago , IL , USA.
Abstract:
Receptor-targeted delivery of imaging and therapeutic agents has emerged as an attractive strategy to diagnosis and treat many diseases including cancer. One of the most well-studied receptors for targeted therapies is the folate receptor (FR) family. FR-α and FR-β are present on many cancers with little expression in normal tissues; leading to the testing of at least six folate-targeted drugs in human clinical trials for various cancers. However, the expression of FR in blood cancers has not been fully explored with no reports of FR expression in myelomas. Herein, we report the expression of both FR-α and FR-β on CD138 + plasma cells isolated from patients with multiple myeloma. In addition, all-trans retinoic acid was shown to increase the levels of FR-α and FR-β in two myeloma cell lines. Altogether, this data suggests that folate-targeted therapies for the treatment of multiple myeloma warrants further investigation.
Insights
Folate receptors (FR) are present on multiple myeloma cells, suggesting potential for targeted therapies. Further research into FR-targeted treatments for this blood cancer is warranted.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Drug Delivery
Background:
- Receptor-targeted therapies offer a promising strategy for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
- The folate receptor (FR) family, particularly FR-α and FR-β, is a well-established target in various cancers.
- Expression of FR in hematologic malignancies, including multiple myeloma, remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression of folate receptors (FR-α and FR-β) on plasma cells from multiple myeloma patients.
- To determine if all-trans retinoic acid influences FR expression in myeloma cell lines.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of CD138+ plasma cells from multiple myeloma patients.
- Analysis of FR-α and FR-β expression on isolated plasma cells.
- Treatment of two myeloma cell lines with all-trans retinoic acid to assess FR expression levels.
Main Results:
- Both FR-α and FR-β were detected on CD138+ plasma cells from multiple myeloma patients.
- All-trans retinoic acid treatment led to increased expression of FR-α and FR-β in myeloma cell lines.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first evidence of FR-α and FR-β expression in multiple myeloma.
- The findings suggest that folate-targeted therapies could be a viable treatment strategy for multiple myeloma.
- Further investigation into the efficacy of folate-targeted agents for multiple myeloma is recommended.
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