Changes in the bone marrow environment could open new pathways for treating multiple myeloma

Researchers from Cima and Clinica Universidad de Navarra demonstrate that the microenvironment surrounding tumor cells plays a key role in the progression of this blood cancer

Miguel Cócera, Isabel Calvo, Felipe Prósper, Itziar Cenzano and Lorea Campos, 

August 18, 2026

Researchers at Cima and the Clínica Universidad de Navarra have identified changes in the bone marrow microenvironment that could play a key role in the progression of multiple myeloma.

“The tumor cell does not act alone. It is surrounded by a group of cells that create an environment conducive to its growth and survival. Understanding how this microenvironment changes during the progression of multiple myeloma is essential for designing new therapeutic strategies,” explains Dr. Isabel Calvo, a researcher in Cima’s Translational Hematology Group and co-lead author of the study, along with Drs. Felipe Prosper and David Gomez-Cabrero

The study, published in the latest issue of NatureCommunications, was conducted within the framework of CIBERONC and received support from the Scientific Foundation of the Spanish Association Against Cancer in Navarra