Osteoclast nuclei of myeloma patients show chromosome translocations specific for the myeloma cell clone: A new type of cancer-host partnership?

T. L. Andersen*, P. Boissy, T. E. Sondergaard, K. Kupisiewicz, T. Plesner, T. Rasmussen, J. Haaber, S. Kølvraa, J. M. Delaissé

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

95 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A major clinical manifestation of bone cancers is bone destruction. It is widely accepted that this destruction is not caused by the malignant cells themselves, but by osteoclasts, multi-nucleated cells of monocytic origin that are considered to be the only cells able to degrade bone. The present study demonstrates that bone-resorbing osteoclasts from myeloma patients contain nuclei with translocated chromosomes of myeloma B-cell clone origin, in addition to nuclei without these translocations, by using combined FISH and immunohistochemistry on bone sections. These nuclei of malignant origin are transcriptionally active and appear fully integrated amongst the other nuclei. The contribution of malignant nuclei to the osteoclast population analysed in this study was greater than 30%. Osteoclast-myeloma clone hybrids contained more nuclei than normal osteoclasts and their occurrence correlated with the proximity of myeloma cells. Similar hybrid cells were generated in myeloma cell-osteoclast co-cultures, as revealed by tracing myeloma nuclei using translocations, bromo-deoxyuridine, or the Y chromosome of male myeloma cells in female osteoclasts. These observations indicate that hybrid cells can originate through fusion between myeloma cells and osteoclasts. In conclusion, malignant cells contribute significantly to the formation of bone-resorbing osteoclasts in multiple myeloma. Osteoclast-myeloma clone hybrids reflect a previously unrecognized mechanism of bone destruction in which malignant cells participate directly. The possibility that malignant cells corrupt host cells by the transfer of malignant DNA may have been underestimated to date in cancer research.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Pathology
Volume211
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)10-17
Number of pages8
ISSN0022-3417
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2007
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • B cells
  • Bone cancer
  • Bone resorption
  • Cell fusion
  • Hybrid cells
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Osteoclast differentiation
  • Osteolysis

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