Despite recent treatments, such as bortezomib, thalidomide, and lenalidomide, therapy of multiple myeloma (MM) is limited, and MM remains an incurable disease associated with high mortality. The outcome of patients treated with cytotoxic therapy has not been satisfactory. Therefore, new therapies are needed for relapsed MM. A new anticancer strategy is the use of monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) that represent the best available combination of tumor cytotoxicity, environmental signal privation, and immune system redirection. Clinical results in patients with relapsed/refractory MM suggest that MoAbs are likely to operate synergistically with traditional therapies (dexamethasone), immune modulators (thalidomide, lenalidomide), and other novel therapies (bortezomib); in addition, MoAbs have shown the ability to overcome resistance to these therapies. It remains to be defined how MoAb therapy can most fruitfully be incorporated into the current therapeutic paradigms that have achieved significant survival earnings in patients with MM. This will require careful consideration of the optimal sequence of treatments and their clinical position as either short-term induction therapy, frontline therapy in patients ineligible for ASCT, or long-term maintenance treatment.

Monoclonal antibodies: potential new therapeutic treatment against multiple myeloma.

ALLEGRA, Alessandro;ALONCI, Andrea;INNAO, Vanessa;MUSOLINO, Caterina
2013-01-01

Abstract

Despite recent treatments, such as bortezomib, thalidomide, and lenalidomide, therapy of multiple myeloma (MM) is limited, and MM remains an incurable disease associated with high mortality. The outcome of patients treated with cytotoxic therapy has not been satisfactory. Therefore, new therapies are needed for relapsed MM. A new anticancer strategy is the use of monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) that represent the best available combination of tumor cytotoxicity, environmental signal privation, and immune system redirection. Clinical results in patients with relapsed/refractory MM suggest that MoAbs are likely to operate synergistically with traditional therapies (dexamethasone), immune modulators (thalidomide, lenalidomide), and other novel therapies (bortezomib); in addition, MoAbs have shown the ability to overcome resistance to these therapies. It remains to be defined how MoAb therapy can most fruitfully be incorporated into the current therapeutic paradigms that have achieved significant survival earnings in patients with MM. This will require careful consideration of the optimal sequence of treatments and their clinical position as either short-term induction therapy, frontline therapy in patients ineligible for ASCT, or long-term maintenance treatment.
2013
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11570/2542439
 Attenzione

Attenzione! I dati visualizzati non sono stati sottoposti a validazione da parte dell'ateneo

Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 18
  • Scopus 46
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 46
social impact