Multiple Myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematological malignancy, and although patient outcomes have significantly improved since the introduction of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and novel pharmacological agents such as immunomodulators (IMID), proteasome inhibitors (PI), and monoclonal antibodies (mAb), the disease remains incurable. The pathological complexity of MM results from accumulating mutations in clonal populations of malignant B-cells, which are cytogenetically heterogenous and selectively sensitive to different therapeutic agents. Drug regimens therefore include a diverse combination of therapeutics designed to target specific pathways to inhibit cell proliferation. Recent advances in genomic analytics and novel pharmacological agents potentially allow for more targeted treatments which improve patient outcomes and frequency of remission with minimal adverse effects. Only recently have studies began to correlate an increased understanding of the many subtypes of MM with optimal treatment regimens, and practices such as “Direct to Drug” screening can give clinicians a look at a patient’s likely response to a combination of drugs. By incorporating emerging pharmaceutical agents into studies based on patient characteristics, the management of MM is making incremental strides towards a more targeted treatment paradigm.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/42084 |
| Date | 19 February 2021 |
| Creators | Bhardwaj, Abhinav |
| Contributors | Gerstenfeld, Louis C., Lonial, Sagar |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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