Turning the spotlight on Bone Marrow adipocytes: in haematological malignancy and non-malignant conditions

Whilst bone marrow adipocytes have long been appreciated by clinical haemato-pathologists, it is only relatively recently, in the face of emerging data, that the adipocytic BM has come under the watchful eye of biologists. There is now mounting evidence that posits BM adipocytes as not just a structural entity of bone marrow microenvironments but as a bona fide driver of physiological and pathophysiological processes relevant to many aspects of human health and disease. Whilst the true multifaceted nature of BM adipocytes has only begun to emerge, paradigms have shifted already for normal, malignant and non-malignant haemopoiesis incorporating a view of adipocyte regulation. Major efforts are ongoing, to delineate the complex procedures by which adipocytes participate in health and disease with a final aim of achieving clinical tractability. This review summarises the emerging role of BM adipocytes across the spectrum of normal and pathological haematological conditions and its impact on cancer therapy.