During the past two years I have been working in Dr. G. D. Roodman's lab on the molecular basis of human myeloma bone disease. During the first year our primary goal was to develop an in vivo model of human myeloma bone disease that would mimic the disease in humans and would allow the identification of factor(s) secreted by myeloma cells in vivo that are responsible for the bone disease seen in these patients. During that time I successfully developed an in vivo model of human myeloma bone disease in SCID mice after injection of a human myeloma cell line (ARH-77 cells). The mice developed lytic lesions detected by x-rays, hypercalcemia and osteoclastic bone resorption in areas of bone adjacent to myeloma. Known bone resorbing cytokines were not found to be elevated in the bone marrow plasma or serum of these mice. Therefore, we are currently using molecular cloning techniques to determine what are the factors produced by ARH-77 cells with ost eoclast stimulatory ac which seems to be novel and has osteoclast stimulatory activity. We have also found that this clone is expressed in some multiple myeloma patients' samples by PCR.

molecular cloning techniques, DNA sequencing, PCR, tissue culture, human and murine bone marrow cultures, handling laboratory animals.

Alsina M, Boyce BF, Mundy GR, Roodman GD: An in vivo model of human multiple myeloma bone disease. Special Edition, Multiple myeloma, from biology to therapy: Current Concepts. Stem Cells l3(2) (in press), l995.

Alsina M, Boyce B, Devlin R, Anderson JL, Craig F, Mundy GR, Roodman GD: Development of an in vivo model of human multiple myeloma bone disease. Blood (in press), l995.

Alsina M, Guise TA, Roodman GD: Cytokine regulation of bone cell differentiation. In "Vitamins and Hormones" (G Litwack, ed.), Vol 52, Academic Press, l995 (in press) (chapter).

Alsina M, Boyce B, Mundy GR, Roodman GD: An in vivo mode of human multiple myeloma bone disease. Presented at the International Conference on Multiple Myeloma, Mulhouse, France, October l994.

Myeloma, Osteoclast, Bone Resorption