Regulatory Mechanism and Role of STAT3 Signaling Pathway in Multiple Myeloma / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

ABSTRACT

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a kind of plasma cell tumor, characterized by clonal expansion of malignant plasma cells in the micro-environment of bone marrow, production of monoclonal immunoglobulins and dysfunction of related organs. In recent years, with the introduction of autologous stem cell transplantation and the application of Lenalidomide and Bortezomib, the traditional treatment of myeloma had been changed and the overall survival of the patients was prolonged. Although significant progresses have been made in treatment, multiple myeloma is still incurable, mainly due to primary drug resistance and disease recurrence. Signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a kind of signal transcription factor, which is involved in diverse cellular processes including the differentiation, proliferation and angiogenesis in normal cells. Recently, it had been found that the high expression of STAT3 in tumors was closely related to the occurrence, development, invasion and metastasis of malignant tumors. STAT3 also played a key role in the occurrence and progression of multiple myeloma. In this paper, we reviewed the molecular structure, signal pathway, activation, regulation and basic biological functions of STAT3, and found that non coding RNA, heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and other factors play important roles in the occurrence, survival and immune escape of multiple myeloma through STAT3 pathway whose activation is related to the resistance of multiple myeloma cells to Bortezomib, Lenalidomide and other conventional drugs. Therefore, STAT3 can be used as a potential target for multiple myeloma. This review provides a basis for accurate diagnosis and treatment of MM and a reference for STAT3 as a potential prognostic marker.