Blog
Dec 7, 2017

Changes in bone marrow innate lymphoid cell subsets in monoclonal gammopathy

Sheila Clark

In a new publication in Blood Advances, Bailur et al. use the Chromium™ Single Cell 3’ Gene Expression Solution to perform single cell gene expression analysis of human bone marrow innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). ILCs have recently emerged as family of immune cells that are involved in the regulation of many processes such as pathogen resistance, inflammation, and tissue homeostasis. Human ILC subset information in the normal marrow and in plasma cell disorders had previously been lacking, however. With this study, researchers were able to gain valuable information on how the function of ILCs may be changing in the progression of plasma cell disorders such as multiple myeloma (MM). Findings from this study have potential implications for immune surveillance in MM and illustrate a novel pathway where immunomodulatory drugs may modulate the immune microenvironment without the need for antigen-mediated signals.

KEY POINTS:

  • Altered number, subset composition, and function of bone marrow innate lymphoid cells are early events in monoclonal gammopathies.
  • Pomalidomide therapy leads to reduction in Ikzf1 and Ikzf3 and enhanced human innate lymphoid cell function in vivo.

Read the full article in Blood Advances.

Single-cell analysis resources