title: Autologous bone marrow transplantation with immunotoxin-purged marrow for advanced multiple myeloma.
abstract: A system to purge the bone marrow of myeloma cells has been developed in our laboratories with the aim of treating with myeloablative radiochemotherapy patients suffering from advanced multiple myeloma. This system is based on the ex vivo incubation of the marrow with an immunotoxin composed of the 8A monoclonal antibody--that recognizes plasma cells and B-cell precursors--and the ribosome-inactivating protein momordin. 8 patients have so far been treated. 4 are surviving from 4 to 18 months after ABMT, whereas 4 died after 1 to 6 months, 2 from infections, 1 from relapsing disease and 1 from veno-occlusive disease. A marked tumour reduction was observed in all evaluable patients; however, none has achieved complete disappearance of the disease. The haemopoietic reconstitution was significantly delayed in 3 patients. These preliminary results show the feasibility of this approach in advanced MM patients with heavily infiltrated marrow. The place of ABMT in the treatment of MM remains to be determined; the selection of patients with still responding and less advanced disease would probably produce better results.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cavo
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Tazzari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dinota
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tassi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bontadini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Albertazzi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miggiano
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rizzi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rosti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000922:Immunotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D000922:Immunotoxins