Transcription signature of CD138low/- Multiple Myeloma Cells

Emily Lecea*, Gangqing Hu, Sebastian Dziadowicz and Olamide Adegbamigbe*
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506

Presentation No.: 82

Assigned Category (Presentation Format): Health Sciences (Poster Presentations)

Student’s Major: Immunology and Medical Microbiology

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological cancer characterized by malignant plasma cells (PCs) in bone marrow. While plasma cells normally express CD138, within the malignant plasma cells small populations with decreased or absent expression of CD138 -a surface marker of MM- are identified, known as CD138low/-. The contribution of these CD138low/- cells to myeloma relapse and drug resistance is still mostly unknown, however CD138low/- cells present as an immature stem-like population, potentially contributing to relapses and chemoresistance in myeloma patients In this study, we define the transcription signature of CD138low/- MM cells using RNA-Seq in MM.1S, hypothesizing that the two populations have identifiable differences in RNA expression. RNA-seq analysis identified 1,188 differentially expressed genes, and PrePC (CD138- ) populations from MM patient data share similar enrichment patterns with our CD138low/- data. Analysis with responsive genes from various treatments demonstrated resistance to Lenalidomide treatments and showed sensitivity to Melphalan treatments. These findings indicate that CD138low/- cells exhibit a distinctive transcription signature from the CD138+ cells and are linked to stemness and drug resistance.

Funding:

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: the WVU IMMB Undergraduate Research Internship Program (Jennifer Franko)