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Targeted Approaches to Inhibit Sialylation of Multiple Myeloma in the Bone Marrow Microenvironment
Alessandro Natoni1, Raghvendra Bohara2, Abhay Pandit2
1Apoptosis Research Centre, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
Abstract:
Aberrant glycosylation modulates different aspects of tumor biology, and it has long been recognized as a hallmark of cancer. Among the different forms of glycosylation, sialylation, the addition of sialic acid to underlying oligosaccharides, is often dysregulated in cancer. Increased expression of sialylated glycans has been observed in many types of cancer, including multiple myeloma, and often correlates with aggressive metastatic behavior. Myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells, develops in the bone marrow, and colonizes multiple sites of the skeleton including the skull. In myeloma, the bone marrow represents an essential niche where the malignant cells are nurtured by the microenvironment and protected from chemotherapy. Here, we discuss the role of hypersialylation in the metastatic process focusing on multiple myeloma. In particular, we examine how increased sialylation modulates homing of malignant plasma cells into the bone marrow by regulating the activity of molecules important in bone marrow cellular trafficking including selectins and integrins. We also propose that inhibiting sialylation may represent a new therapeutic strategy to overcome bone marrow-mediated chemotherapy resistance and describe different targeted approaches to specifically deliver sialylation inhibitors to the bone marrow microenvironment.
Insights
Hypersialylation, increased sialic acid in cancer, drives multiple myeloma cell homing to bone marrow. Inhibiting sialylation may overcome chemotherapy resistance by targeting this critical cancer hallmark.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cancer Biology
- Glycobiology
Background:
- Aberrant glycosylation is a cancer hallmark, with sialylation (sialic acid addition) frequently dysregulated in malignancies.
- Increased sialylated glycans correlate with aggressive metastatic behavior in various cancers, including multiple myeloma.
- The bone marrow microenvironment supports myeloma cell survival and chemotherapy resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss the role of hypersialylation in the metastatic process of multiple myeloma.
- To examine how increased sialylation influences malignant plasma cell homing to the bone marrow.
- To propose sialylation inhibition as a therapeutic strategy against bone marrow-mediated chemotherapy resistance.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on sialylation, cancer metastasis, and multiple myeloma.
- Analysis of the mechanisms by which sialylation affects cellular trafficking molecules (selectins, integrins).
- Discussion of potential targeted therapeutic approaches for sialylation inhibition in the bone marrow microenvironment.
Main Results:
- Hypersialylation is implicated in the homing of multiple myeloma cells to the bone marrow niche.
- Sialylation modulates the activity of selectins and integrins, crucial for bone marrow cellular trafficking.
- The bone marrow microenvironment's protective role in myeloma is potentially linked to hypersialylation.
Conclusions:
- Increased sialylation promotes multiple myeloma metastasis by facilitating bone marrow homing.
- Inhibiting sialylation presents a novel therapeutic avenue to combat chemotherapy resistance in multiple myeloma.
- Targeted delivery of sialylation inhibitors to the bone marrow microenvironment could enhance treatment efficacy.
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