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MINI REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1575509
This article is part of the Research TopicA New Perspective on the Importance of Dendritic Cells in Cancer Immunity: From Bench to Patient's BedsideView all articles
Dendritic Cells in Multiple Myeloma: From Immune Evasion to Therapeutic Potential
Provisionally accepted- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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Multiple myeloma (MM) is a type of hematologic cancer characterized by the uncontrolled clonal expansion of plasma cells in the bone marrow (BM). This leads to significant dysfunction and suppression of the immune system in affected patients. Myeloma cells employ sophisticated strategies to manipulate immune and non-immune cells, evading immune surveillance and enhancing their survival. One key factor in this evasion is the disruption of dendritic cell (DC)-mediated immune mechanisms. Extensive evidence indicates that in the presence of myeloma cells, DC numbers are notably reduced, and their phenotype and function are altered, impairing their ability to present antigens and activate robust T-cell responses effectively. Despite rapid advances in MM treatment, with promising strategies such as DC-based vaccines being already achieved, DC dysfunction remains a substantial hurdle, associated with or contributing to poor therapeutic outcomes, disease relapse, and MM's persistence as an incurable disease. To address these challenges, it is essential to understand the intricate mechanisms through which myeloma cells transform DCs into their "accomplices," undermining immune responses. This review comprehensively summarizes the current understanding of the role of DCs in MM. Additionally, it evaluates the potential of DCs in anti-MM immunotherapy, discussing persistent challenges and highlighting emerging perspectives that may lead to promising breakthroughs for improved patient outcomes.
Keywords: Dendritic Cells, Multiple Myeloma, Immune Evasion, DC vaccine therapy, tumor microenevironment
Received: 12 Feb 2025; Accepted: 02 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Jordan, Morschl and Autenrieth. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Stella E Autenrieth, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.