Role and Therapeutic Targeting of SDF-1α/CXCR4 Axis in Multiple Myeloma

Simple Summary The SDF-1 alpha/CXCR4 axis plays crucial roles in proliferation, survival, invasion, dissemination, and drug resistance in multiple myeloma. This review summarizes the pleiotropic role of the SDF-1 alpha/CXCR4 axis in multiple myeloma and introduces the SDF-1 alpha/CXCR4 axis-targeted therapies in multiple myeloma. The C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) is a pleiotropic chemokine receptor that is expressed in not only normal hematopoietic cells but also multiple myeloma cells. Its ligand, stromal cell-derived factor 1 alpha (SDF-1 alpha) is produced in the bone marrow microenvironment. The SDF-1 alpha/CXCR4 axis plays a pivotal role in the major physiological processes associated with tumor proliferation, survival, invasion, dissemination, and drug resistance in myeloma cells. This review summarizes the pleiotropic role of the SDF-1 alpha/CXCR4 axis in multiple myeloma and discusses the future perspective in the SDF-1 alpha/CXCR4 axis-targeted therapies in multiple myeloma.

Automated summary

The SDF-1 alpha/CXCR4 axis plays crucial roles in multiple myeloma, affecting various physiological processes of tumor cells such as proliferation, survival, invasion, dissemination, and drug resistance. This review highlights the pleiotropic role of this axis and discusses potential targeted therapies in multiple myeloma.