Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,203 studies31 sourcesUpdated 56 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BYCancers

Bone Marrow Adipocytes in Multiple Myeloma: Emerging Immunometabolic Interactions and Implications for Immunotherapy

  • Adriana Roque1,2,3
  • Artur Paiva4,5,6
  • Raquel Seiça2
  • Catarina Geraldes1,3,5,7,8,9
9 affiliations
  1. 1Clinical Hematology Unit, Unidade Local de Saúde de Coimbra (ULS Coimbra), 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
  2. 2Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
  3. 3University Clinics of Hematology and Oncology and Laboratory of Oncobiology and Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
  4. 4Unidade Funcional de Citometria de Fluxo, ULS Coimbra, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
  5. 5Faculty of Medicine, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
  6. 6Ciências Biomédicas Laboratoriais, ESTESC-Coimbra Health School, Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra, 3045-043 Coimbra, Portugal
  7. 7Group of Environmental Genetics of Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
  8. 8Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
  9. 9Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), 3000-076 Coimbra, Portugal
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), but durable immune control remains limited, increasing interest in how the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment influences antitumor immunity. BM adipocytes (BMAds) are increasingly recognized as metabolically active components of the BM. This review summarizes the current evidence linking BMAds to myeloma cell survival and immune cell function, particularly T cell activity. It also discusses their potential relevance to monoclonal antibodies, bispecific antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. Preclinical studies have shown that myeloma-associated BMAds undergo lipid depletion and acquire inflammatory and senescence-associated secretory features. BM lipid exposure is associated with impaired CD8+ T-cell metabolic fitness, whereas leptin receptor activation suppresses invariant natural killer T-cell anti-myeloma activity. Evidence concerning conventional natural killer cells and other immune compartments remains limited. Available clinical evidence is predominantly cross-sectional and therefore does not establish a direct role for BMAds in resistance to current immunotherapies or clarify whether they influence therapeutic target availability or function as clinically relevant bystander targets. Patient- and treatment-related factors, including aging and obesity, may further reshape the adipocytic-stromal and immune landscape of the marrow, potentially modifying local responses to immunotherapy. Future studies combining patient-derived multicellular models with spatial and longitudinal approaches should determine how BMAd-associated metabolic, inflammatory, and adipokine signaling affect immune control and treatment outcomes in MM and whether these processes can be therapeutically modulated.

Related

  1. Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and Prostaglandin E2 Signaling in Gastric Cancer: Immunometabolic Mechanisms and Implications for Immunotherapy Resistance
    Chongxuan Xu, Yihan Wang, Qiaoqiao Zhang +5
    International Journal of Molecular SciencesPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0OncologyCrossref
  2. Immunometabolic interactions in gynecologic cancers: Mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutic implications
    Agapiti H. Chuwa, David H. Mvunta
    The Journal of International Medical ResearchPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC 4.0Full textOncologyPMC
  3. Lactylation-mediated remodeling of spatial immunometabolic niches in lung cancer: metabolic origins, cellular interactions, and molecular mechanisms
    Zihao Lin, Chengri Che, Shuwei Wang
    Frontiers in OncologyPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0OncologyFrontiersCrossref
  4. Immunometabolic crosstalk between dysfunctional adipose tissue and the brain: implications for postoperative cognitive dysfunction in obesity
    Ya-Jiao Hu, Juan Ni, Jin-Xi Zhang
    Frontiers in ImmunologyPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textEpidemiology & public healthCrossrefEurope PMC
  5. Delayed Ovarian Teratoma Resection in Anti–N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) Receptor Encephalitis Despite Immunotherapy: Implications for Early Source Control
    Jordan Scott, Brittany L Lawrence, Khalid Mehmood
    CureusPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{roque2026bone,
  title = {{Bone Marrow Adipocytes in Multiple Myeloma: Emerging Immunometabolic Interactions and Implications for Immunotherapy}},
  author = {Adriana Roque and Artur Paiva and Raquel Seiça and Catarina Geraldes},
  journal = {Cancers},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3390/cancers18193213},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13663922},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Bone Marrow Adipocytes in Multiple Myeloma: Emerging Immunometabolic Interactions and Implications for Immunotherapy
AU  - Adriana Roque
AU  - Artur Paiva
AU  - Raquel Seiça
AU  - Catarina Geraldes
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/01
JO  - Cancers
DO  - 10.3390/cancers18193213
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13663922
AB  - Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), but durable immune control remains limited, increasing interest in how the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment influences antitumor immunity. BM adipocytes (BMAds) are increasingly recognized as metabolically active components of the BM. This review summarizes the current evidence linking BMAds to myeloma cell survival and immune cell function, particularly T cell activity. It also discusses their potential relevance to monoclonal antibodies, bispecific antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. Preclinical studies have shown that myeloma-associated BMAds undergo lipid depletion and acquire inflammatory and senescence-associated secretory features. BM lipid exposure is associated with impaired CD8+ T-cell metabolic fitness, whereas leptin receptor activation suppresses invariant natural killer T-cell anti-myeloma activity. Evidence concerning conventional natural killer cells and other immune compartments remains limited. Available clinical evidence is predominantly cross-sectional and therefore does not establish a direct role for BMAds in resistance to current immunotherapies or clarify whether they influence therapeutic target availability or function as clinically relevant bystander targets. Patient- and treatment-related factors, including aging and obesity, may further reshape the adipocytic-stromal and immune landscape of the marrow, potentially modifying local responses to immunotherapy. Future studies combining patient-derived multicellular models with spatial and longitudinal approaches should determine how BMAd-associated metabolic, inflammatory, and adipokine signaling affect immune control and treatment outcomes in MM and whether these processes can be therapeutically modulated.
SN  - 2072-6694
ER  -