In addition to being crucial for all stages of platelet generation and proliferation, a number of cytokines, including thrombopoietin (TPO), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-11 (IL-11), and interleukin-1b (IL-1b), are also involved in the pathology of myeloma (Anderson et al., 1999; Lauta, 2001). The gene discussed is IL11; the disease is plasma cell myeloma.