Centrosomes and myeloma; aneuploidy and proliferation.

Multiple myeloma is the second most common hematological malignancy in the United States. The disease is characterized by an accumulation of clonal plasma cells. Clinically, patients present with anemia, lytic bone lesions, hypercalcaemia, or renal impairment. The genome of the malignant plasma cells is extremely unstable and is typically aneuploid and characterized by a complex combination of structure and numerical abnormalities. The basis of the genomic instability underlying myeloma is unclear. In this regard, centrosome amplification is present in about a third of myeloma and may represent a mechanism leading to genomic instability in myeloma. Centrosome amplification is associated with high-risk features and poor prognosis. Understanding the underlying etiology of centrosome amplification in myeloma may lead to new therapeutic avenues. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.