Researchers in Australia map human bone marrow, redefining blood cancer research
Researchers in Australia have mapped human bone marrow at the molecular level, uncovering hidden complexity in blood cancer that could lead to better treatments, Xinhua reports.
The study, led by the Melbourne-based Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI), used the latest spatial transcriptomics technology to profile more than 5,000 genes within individual cells, according to a WEHI statement released Monday.
The study, challenging established theories about the development and progression of myeloma, revealed that cancerous plasma cells form distinct microenvironments within the bone marrow, with different supporting cells and gene activity, said co-first author Raymond Yip.
"It's like discovering that each tumor has its own postcode," said Yip, a postdoctoral researcher at WEHI.
Scientists once thought myeloma cells shaped bone marrow in similar ways, allowing for universal treatments.
But the new findings could help explain why myeloma patients respond differently to current treatments, and guide more personalized approaches to diagnosis and treatment, said WEHI Clinician-researcher and co-first author Jeremy Er.
WEHI's latest spatial technologies allow researchers to track individual cell activity and location within tissue, according to the study published in Blood of the American Society of Hematology.
Multiple myeloma is an incurable blood cancer affecting plasma cells in the bone marrow, diagnosed in over 2,500 Australians annually. Existing treatments slow progression and manage symptoms, but patient responses vary.
As written before, an experimental blood test detected early-stage ovarian cancer in patients with vague symptoms that would likely be misdiagnosed using currently available methods, researchers said in a new report.