Eosinophils and megakaryocytes support the early growth of murine MOPC315 myeloma cells in their bone marrow niches

PLoS One. 2014 Oct 1;9(10):e109018. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109018. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Multiple myeloma is a bone marrow plasma cell tumor which is supported by the external growth factors APRIL and IL-6, among others. Recently, we identified eosinophils and megakaryocytes to be functional components of the micro-environmental niches of benign bone marrow plasma cells and to be important local sources of these cytokines. Here, we investigated whether eosinophils and megakaryocytes also support the growth of tumor plasma cells in the MOPC315.BM model for multiple myeloma. As it was shown for benign plasma cells and multiple myeloma cells, IL-6 and APRIL also supported MOPC315.BM cell growth in vitro, IL-5 had no effect. Depletion of eosinophils in vivo by IL-5 blockade led to a reduction of the early myeloma load. Consistent with this, myeloma growth in early stages was retarded in eosinophil-deficient ΔdblGATA-1 mice. Late myeloma stages were unaffected, possibly due to megakaryocytes compensating for the loss of eosinophils, since megakaryocytes were found to be in contact with myeloma cells in vivo and supported myeloma growth in vitro. We conclude that eosinophils and megakaryocytes in the niches for benign bone marrow plasma cells support the growth of malignant plasma cells. Further investigations are required to test whether perturbation of these niches represents a potential strategy for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow / pathology*
  • Cell Proliferation*
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Eosinophils / cytology*
  • Megakaryocytes / cytology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Multiple Myeloma / pathology*

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Deutsche Krebshilfe (project 108658), the Werner und Klara Kreitz-Stiftung and the Excellence Cluster Inflammation at Interfaces. David Wong and Upasana Kulkarni were supported by an internal program grant of the University of Luebeck. Ben Tiburzy was funded by the GRK1727 | GRK “Modulation of Autoimmunity”. Oliver Winter received support from DFG Grant WI 3895/1-1. Ralf Bargou and Kurt Bommert were supported by the Clinical Research Unit 216 (KFO216). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.