[Epigenetic dysregulation driving multiple myeloma]

Multiple myeloma (MM) is triggered and promoted by the accumulation of genetic alterations. However, MM is highly dependent on the bone marrow microenvironment, which suggests that epigenetic deregulation plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of MM. Indeed, recent studies using next-generation sequencing have revealed epigenetic alterations in MM. Epigenetic regulation involved in the development of cancers, including MM, can either be observed across multiple cancer types or be specific to a single cancer type. The former type of regulation is associated with driver events common to multiple cancer types, and my colleagues and I have recently identified the importance of the KDM5A-mediated H3K4 methylation cycle in activating MYC-driven transcription. The latter type is closely related to lineage-restricted epigenetic programs. In MM, the B-cell differentiation factor IL-6 may partly mediate the MM-distinct epigenetic program. This article discusses epigenetic deregulation in MM, focusing on our recent findings.