Lipid metabolic vulnerabilities of multiple myeloma

Abstract

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematological malignancy worldwide, characterized by abnormal proliferation of malignant plasma cells within a tumor-permissive bone marrow microenvironment. Metabolic dysfunctions are emerging as key determinants in the pathobiology of MM. In this review, we highlight the metabolic features of MM, showing how alterations in various lipid pathways, mainly involving fatty acids, cholesterol and sphingolipids, afect the growth, survival and drug responsiveness of MM cells, as well as their cross-talk with other cellular components of the tumor microenvironment. These fndings will provide a new path to understanding the mechanisms underlying how lipid vulnerabilities may arise and afect the phenotype of malignant plasma cells, highlighting novel druggable pathways with a signifcant impact on the management of MM.