Genome-wide profiling of tumor cells in multiple myeloma

In multiple myeloma (MM), endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) regulate tumor angiogenesis and disease progression. They share a common bone marrow microenvironment with myeloma tumor cells. CD138+ tumor plasma cells from 12 newly diagnosed patients with advanced MM were examined for genomic instability by RNA microarrays to assess changes in gene expression. Tumor cells were derived from single-cell suspensions of bone marrow (BM) aspirates from newly diagnosed MM patients, and RNA was extracted for microarray hybridization.