Down-regulated G protein-coupled receptor kinase 6 leads to apoptosis in multiple myeloma MM1R cells

G protein-coupled receptor kinase 6 (GRK6) is highly expressed in multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines, but absent or only weakly expressed in most primary human somatic cells. In the present study, GRK6 expression was assessed in MM patients and healthy individuals by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Flow cytometry were performed to measure the apoptosis of lentivial-transfected MM1R cells. Western blot analysis was performed to assess the apoptosis and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 pathway-related factors. The results demonstrated that GRK6 was differentially expressed in individuals who suffered from MM and healthy individuals. Previous studies have shown that downregulating GRK6 has anti-cancer effects in the MM cell line, MM1R. The present study demonstrated that RNA interference-mediated GRK6 knockdown promoted apoptosis in the MM1R cell line. Therefore, we hypothesized that GRK6 plays a significant role in determining the course of MM.