Correspondence:

The online version of this article has a Supplementary Appendix. Background Thalidomide and its analogs are effective agents in the treatment of multiple myeloma. Since gelatinases (matrix metalloproteinases-2 and-9) play a crucial role in tumor progression, we explored the effect of thalidomide on gelatinase production by malignant B lymphoid cell lines. Design and Methods We investigated the effect of therapeutic doses of thalidomide on integrin-mediated production of gelatinases by malignant B lymphoid cell lines by gelatin zymography, western-blot, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and invasive capacity through Matrigel-coated Boyden chambers. We also explored the effect of thalidomide on the activation status of the main sig-naling pathways involved in this process. Results Thalidomide strongly inhibited gelatinase production by B-cell lines and primary myeloma cells in response to fibronectin, the most efficient gelatinase inducer identified in lymphoi