title: The use of thalidomide in myeloma therapy as an effective anticancer drug.
abstract: Thalidomide and its immunomodulatory derivatives have provided the most significant advance in the therapy of myeloma since the introduction of high dose chemotherapy followed by stem cell transplantation nearly 20 years ago. The mechanism of action of thalidomide is complex and involves many aspects of malignant plasma cell growth and bone marrow stromal cell microenvironment interaction. Thalidomide was first used because of its anti-angiogenic properties, however it is the immunomodulatory actions that involve increasing host tumour-specific immunosurveillance by both T cell and natural killer cells which may be the most important mode of action.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Haematology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia. d.sze@pharm.usyd.edu.au
authors.forename: Daniel M-Y
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Sze
authors.forename: Ross
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Shihong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: P Joy
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Joshua
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016723:Bone Remodeling; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000517:prevention & control; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D013792:Thalidomide