Transcriptomics and Epigenetics Analysis for Biomarkers Identification Involved in Drug-resistance Mechanisms of Multiple Myeloma

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is the more common hematological neoplastic disease second only to Hodgkin lymphoma. In MM patients, mutated genes are mainly KRAS (23%), NRAS (20%), FAM46C (11%), DIS3 (11%) e TP53 (8%). Epigenetics studies suggested that Changes in histone modifications and DNA methylation pattern, as well as non-coding RNAs (miRNAs) expression are involved in MM development. In particular, it has been shown that the aberrant expression of different miRNAs could discriminate healthy from ill patients. Unfortunately, the main critical issue for an effective treatment of MM is the intrinsic or acquired resistance to pharmacological treatments, due also to a plasmacellular clonal heterogeneity.

The prospective study will involve a patient cohort with MGUS, MM smouldering and MM, with the aim to characterize different transcriptional and epigenetic features, also including miRNAs, among MM cells susceptible or resistant to conventional therapies. The final goal is to identify new prognostic and predictive biomarkers that could be used as therapeutic tools to improve clinical targeted therapies.