Rafoxanide, an organohalogen drug, triggers apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in multiple myeloma by enhancing DNA damage responses and suppressing the p38 MAPK pathway.
In this study, we show that p38 activity in myeloma inhibits osteoblast differentiation and bone formation, but also enhances osteoclast maturation and bone resorption. p38 regulated the expression and secretion of the Wnt pathway antagonist DKK-1 and the monocyte chemoattractant MCP-1.
This study elucidates a novel molecular mechanism-activation of p38 signaling in myeloma cells-by which myeloma cells induce osteolytic bone lesions, and indicates that targeting myeloma cell p38 may be a viable approach to treating or preventing myeloma bone disease.
Increased interleukin-6 (IL-6) production by MM stromal cells was p38 MAPK-dependent while increased vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) expression was NF-kappaB-dependent.
Mechanistically, a short in vitro exposure to Aplidin induces MM cell death, which involves activation of p38 and c-jun NH(2)-terminal kinase signaling, Fas/CD95 translocation to lipid rafts, and caspase activation.