Review in translational hematology Multiple myeloma bone disease: pathophysiology of osteoblast inhibition

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy characterized by a high ca-pacity to induce osteolytic bone lesions. Bone destruction in MM results from in-creased osteoclast formation and activity that occur in close proximity to myeloma cells. However, histomorphometric stud-ies have demonstrated that MM patients with osteolytic bone lesions have lower numbers of osteoblasts and decreased bone formation. This impaired bone for-mation plays a critical role in the bone-destructive process. Recently, the bio-logic mechanisms involved in the osteoblast inhibition induced by MM cells have begun to be elucidated. In this ar-ticle, the pathophysiology underlying os-teoblast inhibition in MM is reviewed