Heparan sulfate proteoglycans in the control of B cell development and the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) have essential functions during embryonic development and throughout postnatal life. To exert these functions, they undergo a series of processing reactions by heparan-sulfate-modifying enzymes (HSMEs), which endows them with highly modified heparan sulfate (HS) domains that provide specific docking sites for a large number of bioactive molecules. The development and antigen-dependent differentiation of normal B lymphocytes, as well as the growth and progression of B-lineage malignancies, are orchestrated by an array of growth factors, cytokines and chemokines many of which display HS binding. As discussed in this review, tightly regulated HSPG expression is a requirement for normal B cell maturation, differentiation and function. In addition, the HSPG syndecan-1 functions as a versatile co-receptor for signals from the bone marrow microenvironment, essential for the survival of long-lived plasma cells and multiple myeloma (MM) plasma cells. Targeting of HSMEs or HS chains on MM cells increases their sensitivity to drugs currently used in MM treatment, including bortezomib, lenalidomide or dexamethasone. Taken together, these findings render the HS biosynthetic machinery a promising target for MM treatment.