Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Author Spotlight: Assessing the Potential of Circulating Tumor Cells in Leptomeningeal Disease Research
Published on: March 29, 2024
Circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and risk of multiple myeloma: An observational and
Yolanda Benavente1,2,3, Sara Hermosa1,2, Nikos Papadimitriou4
1Unit of Infections and Cancer, Cancer Epidemiology Research Programme, IDIBELL, Catalan Institute of Oncology, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.
Abstract:
Evidence for an association between insulin-like growth factors (IGF) and multiple myeloma (MM) is inconsistent. We examined total IGF-I concentrations and risk of MM by combining baseline serological data among UK Biobank participants (n = 444 187; 732 incident MM) with a two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis using identified genetic variants associated with circulating total IGF-I and IGF-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) in the InterLymph consortium (2434 MM and their 2567 controls). Finally, additional lymphoid neoplasm (LN) subtypes were included for comparison with the main hypothesis. Circulating IGF-I level was positively associated with MM risk Hazard ratio-HR-per one standard deviation-SD-increase (HR1-SD = 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.22; p-value = 0.03), especially closer to diagnosis. Genetically inferred IGF-I levels were associated with increased MM risk (odds ratio [OR] = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.05-1.54) but not with any other LNs. Genetically inferred IGFBP-3 levels showed no associations with any LN evaluated. Corroborating previous findings, in a secondary analysis, IGF-I levels were associated with the risk of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) in males with higher body mass index (HR1-SD in obese male = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.14-1.61). Our serological and MR analyses suggest a contributing role of IGF-I in the susceptibility of MM; the CLL/SLL findings warrant further investigation considering sex-specific adiposity.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
Differentiation of Common Myeloid Progenitor Cells
Hypoglycemia and Glucagon

