Updates on the hematological tumor microenvironment and its therapeutic targeting

Abstract

In this review article, we present recent updates on the hematological tumor microenvironment following the 3rd Scientific Workshop on the Haematological Tumour Microenvironment and its Therapeutic Targeting organized by the European School of Hematology, which took place at the Francis Crick Institute in London in February 2019. This review article is focused on recent scientific advances highlighted in the invited presentations at the meeting, which encompass the normal and malignant niches supporting hematopoietic stem cells and their progeny. Therefore, for the sake of focus it does not discuss other relevant contributions in this field, which are scope of other recent reviews. The content combines basic research with possible clinical applications with the major therapeutic angle of utilizing basic knowledge to devise new strategies to target the tumor microenvironment in hematological cancers. The review is structured in the following sections: 1) regulation of normal hematopoietic stem cell niches during development, adulthood and aging; 2) metabolic adaptation and reprogramming in the tumor microenvironment; 3) key role of inflammation in reshaping the normal microenvironment and driving hematopoietic stem cell proliferation; 4) current understanding of the tumor microenvironment in different malignancies, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma, acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes; 5) effects of therapies on the microenvironment and some opportunities to directly target the niche to improve current treatments.