Studying Heterogeneity in Myeloma via Single-Cell RNA Sequencing
Posted: Thursday, January 17, 2019
Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, have created detailed genetic profiles of myeloma in precancerous, newly diagnosed, and post-relapse stages via the application of single-cell RNA sequencing. Their approach to better understanding the heterogeneity of both symptomatic and asymptomatic myeloma may ultimately lead to more effective approaches to diagnosis and treatment. These research findings were published in Nature Medicine.
“In the future, physicians will hopefully be able to track the disease in real time and treat each patient according to a personalized disease profile, possibly even before symptoms appear,” stated Guy Ledergor, MD, PhD, of the Department of Immunology at Weizmann, in an institutional press release.
The researchers applied single-cell RNA sequencing to study the heterogeneity of 40 patients with multiple myeloma, including 11 healthy controls. They identified subclonal structures for 10 of 29 patients with multiple myeloma.
For asymptomatic patients who are either in the early onset of the disease or have minimal residual disease post treatment, the scientists detected rare tumor plasma cells with molecular characteristics similar to active myeloma. This connection may have clinical implications for personalized therapies. Using machine-learning techniques, Dr. Ledergor and his colleagues generated a high-resolution model of normal plasma cells by sequencing tens of thousands of cells from the control group.
“Our work establishes single-cell RNA sequencing for dissecting blood malignancies and devised detailed molecular characterization of tumor cells in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients,” concluded the study authors.
Disclosure: The study authors’ disclosure information may be found at nature.com.