scholarly journals Antibody Therapies for Multiple Myeloma

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolaos Kanellias ◽  
Maria Gavriatopoulou ◽  
Evangelos Terpos

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is characterized by the abberant proliferation and expansion of plasma cells in the Bone marrow. Despite the broad use of proteasome inhibitors and IMiDs, Multiple Myeloma remains an incurable disease. The introduction of Monoclonal antibodies, along with bi-specific antibodies and check point inhibitors, has significantly enhanced the armamentarium of available therapeutic options in the relapsed setting. The incorporation of the above-mentioned novel agents in triplet or quadruplet therapeutic regimens has led to significant prolongation of overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS), without adding significant toxicity. Anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies has become the cornerstone of antimyeloma therapy in both the newly diagnosed and relapsed setting.

Blood ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 127 (6) ◽  
pp. 681-695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niels W. C. J. van de Donk ◽  
Philippe Moreau ◽  
Torben Plesner ◽  
Antonio Palumbo ◽  
Francesca Gay ◽  
...  

AbstractImmunotherapeutic strategies are emerging as promising therapeutic approaches in multiple myeloma (MM), with several monoclonal antibodies in advanced stages of clinical development. Of these agents, CD38-targeting antibodies have marked single agent activity in extensively pretreated MM, and preliminary results from studies with relapsed/refractory patients have shown enhanced therapeutic efficacy when daratumumab and isatuximab are combined with other agents. Furthermore, although elotuzumab (anti-SLAMF7) has no single agent activity in advanced MM, randomized trials in relapsed/refractory MM have demonstrated significantly improved progression-free survival when elotuzumab is added to lenalidomide-dexamethasone or bortezomib-dexamethasone. Importantly, there has been no significant additive toxicity when these monoclonal antibodies are combined with other anti-MM agents, other than infusion-related reactions specific to the therapeutic antibody. Prevention and management of infusion reactions is important to avoid drug discontinuation, which may in turn lead to reduced efficacy of anti-MM therapy. Therapeutic antibodies interfere with several laboratory tests. First, interference of therapeutic antibodies with immunofixation and serum protein electrophoresis assays may lead to underestimation of complete response. Strategies to mitigate interference, based on shifting the therapeutic antibody band, are in development. Furthermore, daratumumab, and probably also other CD38-targeting antibodies, interfere with blood compatibility testing and thereby complicate the safe release of blood products. Neutralization of the therapeutic CD38 antibody or CD38 denaturation on reagent red blood cells mitigates daratumumab interference with transfusion laboratory serologic tests. Finally, therapeutic antibodies may complicate flow cytometric evaluation of normal and neoplastic plasma cells, since the therapeutic antibody can affect the availability of the epitope for binding of commercially available diagnostic antibodies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (23) ◽  
pp. 5504
Author(s):  
Norbert Grzasko ◽  
Grzegorz Charlinski ◽  
Marta Morawska ◽  
Pawel Kicinski ◽  
Anna Waszczuk-Gajda ◽  
...  

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable disease and patients become refractory to the treatment in the course of the disease. Bendamustine-based regimens containing steroids and other agents are among the therapeutic options offered to MM patients. Here, we investigated the safety and the efficacy of bendamustine used in patients with refractory/relapsed MM (RRMM). The patients were treated with bendamustine and steroids (n = 52) or bendamustine, steroids and immunomodulatory agents or proteasome inhibitors (n = 53). Response rates, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and frequency of adverse events were compared between both study groups. Most efficacy measurements were better in patients treated with three-drug regimens: overall response rate (55% versus 37%, p = 0.062), median PFS (9 months versus 4 months, p < 0.001), median OS survival (18 months versus 12 months, p = 0.679). The benefit from combining bendamustine and steroids with an additional agent was found in subgroups previously treated with both lenalidmide and bortezomib, with stem cell transplant and with more than two previous therapy lines. Toxicity was similar in both study groups and bendamustine-based therapies were generally well-tolerated. Our study suggests that bendamustine may be an effective treatment for patients with RRMM. Three-drug regimens containing bendamustine, steroids and novel agents produced better outcomes and had acceptable toxicity. The efficacy of bendamustine combined with steroids was limited.


Leukemia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arantxa Carrasco-Leon ◽  
Teresa Ezponda ◽  
Cem Meydan ◽  
Luis V. Valcárcel ◽  
Raquel Ordoñez ◽  
...  

AbstractMultiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable disease, whose clinical heterogeneity makes its management challenging, highlighting the need for biological features to guide improved therapies. Deregulation of specific long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been shown in MM, nevertheless, the complete lncRNA transcriptome has not yet been elucidated. In this work, we identified 40,511 novel lncRNAs in MM samples. lncRNAs accounted for 82% of the MM transcriptome and were more heterogeneously expressed than coding genes. A total of 10,351 overexpressed and 9,535 downregulated lncRNAs were identified in MM patients when compared with normal bone-marrow plasma cells. Transcriptional dynamics study of lncRNAs in the context of normal B-cell maturation revealed 989 lncRNAs with exclusive expression in MM, among which 89 showed de novo epigenomic activation. Knockdown studies on one of these lncRNAs, SMILO (specific myeloma intergenic long non-coding RNA), resulted in reduced proliferation and induction of apoptosis of MM cells, and activation of the interferon pathway. We also showed that the expression of lncRNAs, together with clinical and genetic risk alterations, stratified MM patients into several progression-free survival and overall survival groups. In summary, our global analysis of the lncRNAs transcriptome reveals the presence of specific lncRNAs associated with the biological and clinical behavior of the disease.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1221
Author(s):  
Raquel Lopes ◽  
Bruna Velosa Ferreira ◽  
Joana Caetano ◽  
Filipa Barahona ◽  
Emilie Arnault Carneiro ◽  
...  

Despite the improvement of patient’s outcome obtained by the current use of immunomodulatory drugs, proteasome inhibitors or anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies, multiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable disease. More recently, the testing in clinical trials of novel drugs such as anti-BCMA CAR-T cells, antibody–drug conjugates or bispecific antibodies broadened the possibility of improving patients’ survival. However, thus far, these treatment strategies have not been able to steadily eliminate all malignant cells, and the aim has been to induce a long-term complete response with minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative status. In this sense, approaches that target not only myeloma cells but also the surrounding microenvironment are promising strategies to achieve a sustained MRD negativity with prolonged survival. This review provides an overview of current and future strategies used for immunomodulation of MM focusing on the impact on bone marrow (BM) immunome.


Hemato ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-181
Author(s):  
Marie Thérèse Rubio ◽  
Adèle Dhuyser ◽  
Stéphanie Nguyen

Myeloma tumor cells are particularly dependent on their microenvironment and sensitive to cellular antitumor immune response, including natural killer (NK) cells. These later are essential innate lymphocytes implicated in the control of viral infections and cancers. Their cytotoxic activity is regulated by a balance between activating and inhibitory signals resulting from the complex interaction of surface receptors and their respective ligands. Myeloma disease evolution is associated with a progressive alteration of NK cell number, phenotype and cytotoxic functions. We review here the different therapeutic approaches that could restore or enhance NK cell functions in multiple myeloma. First, conventional treatments (immunomodulatory drugs-IMids and proteasome inhibitors) can enhance NK killing of tumor cells by modulating the expression of NK receptors and their corresponding ligands on NK and myeloma cells, respectively. Because of their ability to kill by antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity, NK cells are important effectors involved in the efficacy of anti-myeloma monoclonal antibodies targeting the tumor antigens CD38, CS1 or BCMA. These complementary mechanisms support the more recent therapeutic combination of IMids or proteasome inhibitors to monoclonal antibodies. We finally discuss the ongoing development of new NK cell-based immunotherapies, such as ex vivo expanded killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR)-mismatched NK cells, chimeric antigen receptors (CAR)-NK cells, check point and KIR inhibitors.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1235
Author(s):  
Tina Paradzik ◽  
Cecilia Bandini ◽  
Elisabetta Mereu ◽  
Maria Labrador ◽  
Elisa Taiana ◽  
...  

Multiple myeloma is a malignancy of terminally differentiated plasma cells, characterized by an extreme genetic heterogeneity that poses great challenges for its successful treatment. Due to antibody overproduction, MM cells depend on the precise regulation of the protein degradation systems. Despite the success of PIs in MM treatment, resistance and adverse toxic effects such as peripheral neuropathy and cardiotoxicity could arise. To this end, the use of rational combinatorial treatments might allow lowering the dose of inhibitors and therefore, minimize their side-effects. Even though the suppression of different cellular pathways in combination with proteasome inhibitors have shown remarkable anti-myeloma activities in preclinical models, many of these promising combinations often failed in clinical trials. Substantial progress has been made by the simultaneous targeting of proteasome and different aspects of MM-associated immune dysfunctions. Moreover, targeting deranged metabolic hubs could represent a new avenue to identify effective therapeutic combinations with PIs. Finally, epigenetic drugs targeting either DNA methylation, histone modifiers/readers, or chromatin remodelers are showing pleiotropic anti-myeloma effects alone and in combination with PIs. We envisage that the positive outcome of patients will probably depend on the availability of more effective drug combinations and treatment of early MM stages. Therefore, the identification of sensitive targets and aberrant signaling pathways is instrumental for the development of new personalized therapies for MM patients.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Grosicki ◽  
Martyna Bednarczyk ◽  
Agnieszka Barchnicka ◽  
Olga Grosicka

Multiple myeloma (MM) is still considered an incurable disease. However, drugs with different mechanisms of action that can improve the efficiency of treatment offer hope. Still, there are concerns about an unacceptable increase in toxicity with such regimens. The results of recently published clinical studies of elotuzumab in combination with lenalidomide/dexamethasone or pomalidomide/dexamethasone confirm previous hopes to improve the effect of that treatment. Humanized monoclonal antibodies aimed at SLAMF7 stimulate natural killer cells to fight against MM cells. Elotuzumab used in combination with lenalidomide/dexamethasone or with pomalidomide/dexamethasone is approved by the US FDA to treat patients with relapsed and/or refractory MM. The article is a summary of the recent knowledge about the possibility of using elotuzumab in the treatment of relapsed and/or refractory MM and shows its potential uses in the future.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. e235886
Author(s):  
Shivangi Gupta ◽  
Dan Xu ◽  
Jane Hadfield ◽  
David Prentice

Durvalumab is a selective, high-affinity human immunoglobulin monoclonal antibody in a class called check point inhibitors, that blocks PD-L1 on tumour cells. Despite clinical success in increasing progression-free survival rates in patients with stage III non-small-cell lung cancer, durvalumab has been associated with immune-related side effects such as pneumonitis and colitis. We present a case of an 84-year-old woman with acral vasculitis presenting as blue toe syndrome, associated with prolonged use of durvalumab. After 1 year of fortnightly durvalumab therapy postchemoradiation therapy, the patient came in with a left blue big toe, and later developed bilateral livedo racemosa. The diagnosis of durvalumab-associated vasculitis was made and treatment with prednisolone was started with clinical improvement.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 426
Author(s):  
Sonia Morè ◽  
Maria Petrucci ◽  
Laura Corvatta ◽  
Francesca Fazio ◽  
Massimo Offidani ◽  
...  

Multiple myeloma is a complex hematologic malignancy, and despite a survival improvement related to the growing number of available therapeutic options since 2000s, it remains an incurable disease with most patients experiencing relapse. However, therapeutic options for this disease are constantly evolving and immunotherapy is becoming the mainstay of the therapeutic armamentarium of Multiple Myeloma (MM), starting with monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) as elotuzumab, daratumumab and isatuximab. Elotuzumab, the first in class targeting SLAMF7, in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone and daratumumab, directed against CD38, in combination with Rd and with bortezomib and dexamethasone (Vd), have been approved for the treatment of relapsed/refractory MM (RRMM) after they demonstrated excellent efficacy. More recently, another anti-CD38 MoAb named isatuximab was approved by FDA in combination with pomalidomide-dexamethasone (Pd) in the same setting. Many phase II and III trials with regimens containing these MoAbs are ongoing, and when available, preliminary data are very encouraging. In this review we will describe the results of major clinical studies that have been conducted with elotuzumab, daratumumab and isatuximab in RRMM, focusing on phase III trials. Moreover, we will summarized the emerging MoAbs-based combinations in the RRMM landscape.


Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Bonello ◽  
Roberto Mina ◽  
Mario Boccadoro ◽  
Francesca Gay

Immunotherapy is the latest innovation for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) entered the clinical practice and are under evaluation in clinical trials. MAbs can target highly selective and specific antigens on the cell surface of MM cells causing cell death (CD38 and CS1), convey specific cytotoxic drugs (antibody-drug conjugates), remove the breaks of the immune system (programmed death 1 (PD-1) and PD-ligand 1/2 (L1/L2) axis), or boost it against myeloma cells (bi-specific mAbs and T cell engagers). Two mAbs have been approved for the treatment of MM: the anti-CD38 daratumumab for newly-diagnosed and relapsed/refractory patients and the anti-CS1 elotuzumab in the relapse setting. These compounds are under investigation in clinical trials to explore their synergy with other anti-MM regimens, both in the front-line and relapse settings. Other antibodies targeting various antigens are under evaluation. B cell maturation antigens (BCMAs), selectively expressed on plasma cells, emerged as a promising target and several compounds targeting it have been developed. Encouraging results have been reported with antibody drug conjugates (e.g., GSK2857916) and bispecific T cell engagers (BiTEs®), including AMG420, which re-directs T cell-mediated cytotoxicity against MM cells. Here, we present an overview on mAbs currently approved for the treatment of MM and promising compounds under investigation.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document