title: Recent advances in the treatment of Multiple Myeloma.
abstract: Multiple Myeloma (MM) remains an incurable plasma cell malignancy in the bone marrow (BM) despite conventional therapies as well as high-dose therapies with stem cell support. Therefore novel biologically-based therapeutic approaches are required. Recently, intensive laboratory and preclinical studies have identified and validated therapeutic molecular targets in MM. In particular, recognition of the biologic significance of the BM microenvironment in MM pathogenesis and as a potential target for novel therapeutics has derived several promising approaches. Novel FDA approved agents including thalidomide/thalomid, its immunomodulatory derivatives lenalidomide/Revlimid, and proteasome inhibitor bortezomib/Velcade are directed at molecular targets not only in MM cells but also in its BM milieu, and have already achieved promising results in clinical studies. Here we discuss the mechanisms of action of these novel drugs and their clinical application, alone or combined with conventional or novel drugs.
authors.affiliation: Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.forename: Teru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hideshima
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Kenneth C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007155:Immunologic Factors