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Multiple Myeloma: From Molecular Mechanism to Diagnosis and Therapy

A special issue of Current Issues in Molecular Biology (ISSN 1467-3045). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 1118

Special Issue Editor

Clinical Chemistry Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo Dei Tintori, Via Pergolesi 33, 20900 Monza, Italy
Interests: antimicrobial resistance; microbiology; parasitology; micology; lung disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Multiple myeloma is a plasma cell disorder that represents the second most common form of blood cancer. Multiple myeloma is still considered an incurable pathology, but survival has nearly doubled in recent years due to the use of novel drugs and novel therapeutic strategies. Knowledge about the molecular mechanisms and pathogenesis of multiple myeloma has a key role in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. Moreover, laboratories play an essential role in the diagnosis and management of subjects affected by multiple myeloma. Different chemistry and molecular assays are performed to monitor the patient’s progress, response to treatment, and relapse. The use of protein and urine electrophoresis, serum-free light chains, and cytogenetic testing are important in the identification of subjects with multiple myeloma; that is, the presence of a monoclonal immunoglobulin. In this Special Issue, we welcome submissions covering all aspects of multiple myeloma, ranging from molecular mechanisms, diagnostic tools, biomarker development, and novel therapies.

Potential topics will include the following:

  • The molecular mechanisms involved;
  • Immunopathogenesis of the disease;
  • Laboratory tests and methods;
  • Diagnosis;
  • Treatments

Dr. Jari Intra
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • multiple myeloma
  • blood cancer
  • immunopathogenesis
  • biomarker
  • immunoglobulin

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 955 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Modern Bone Markers in Multiple Myeloma: Prospective Analyses Pre and Post-First Line Treatment
by Vlad Stefan Pop, Mihaela Iancu, Adrian Bogdan Țigu, Anda Adam, Gheorghe Tomoaia, Anca Daniela Farcas, Anca Simona Bojan and Andrada Parvu
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2024, 46(9), 9330-9341; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb46090552 - 24 Aug 2024
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Abstract
Multiple myeloma, the disease characterized by the malignant proliferation of plasma cells that invades the bone marrow, produces osteolytic lesions and secretes monoclonal proteins. Several biomarkers have been shown to represent important tools in the pathogenesis of myeloma and offer insights into bone [...] Read more.
Multiple myeloma, the disease characterized by the malignant proliferation of plasma cells that invades the bone marrow, produces osteolytic lesions and secretes monoclonal proteins. Several biomarkers have been shown to represent important tools in the pathogenesis of myeloma and offer insights into bone degradation and formation. The objectives of this current study were to assess the associations of modern biomarkers (TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor; IFN: Interferon; FreeRANKL: Free Receptor Activator for Nuclear Factor kappa B Ligand; RANKL: Receptor Activator for Nuclear Factor kappa B Ligand, Beta crosslaps, IL-6: Interleukin 6) with osteolytic lesions status after first-line treatment and to evaluate the correlations between modern and classical biomarkers (LDH: Lactate Dehydrogenase; VSH: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate; Hgb: Hemoglobin, Calcium, Albumin, B2microglobulin) stratified by osteolytic lesions status. A total of 35 patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma divided into two groups according to the osteolytic bone lesions, were studied: (1) unchanged status of osteolytic lesions and (2) changed status of osteolytic lesions. After fist-line treatment, we found a significant difference in Albumin (p = 0.0029) and Calcium levels (p = 0.0304), patients with a changed status in osteolytic lesions having higher values of Albumin and Calcium compared to those without changes in status of osteolytic lesions. After first-line treatment, decreased IL-6 values were significantly correlated with elevated values of Albumin (ρ = −0.96, p = 0.0005) in the patients with changed status of osteolytic lesions. Post-treatment values of IFN showed a significant positive correlation with Hemoglobin (ρ = 0.47, p = 0.0124), IL-6 (ρ = 0.55, p = 0.0026) and TNF-alpha values (ρ = 0.54, p = 0.0029). The results obtained from patients with unmodified lytic lesions identified a significant correlation between the biomarkers IL-6, Free RANKL, and IFN-beta with the classical marker LDH. This association highlights the involvement of these markers in promoting bone destruction and the development of osteolytic lesions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multiple Myeloma: From Molecular Mechanism to Diagnosis and Therapy)
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12 pages, 919 KiB  
Article
Rising Prevalence of Low-Frequency PPM1D Gene Mutations after Second HDCT in Multiple Myeloma
by Katja Seipel, Nuria Z. Veglio, Henning Nilius, Barbara Jeker, Ulrike Bacher and Thomas Pabst
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2024, 46(8), 8197-8208; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb46080484 - 29 Jul 2024
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Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) first-line treatment algorithms include immuno-chemotherapy (ICT) induction, high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) consolidation, followed by lenalidomide maintenance. After these initial therapies, most patients suffer a disease relapse and require subsequent treatment lines including ICT, additional HDCT [...] Read more.
Multiple myeloma (MM) first-line treatment algorithms include immuno-chemotherapy (ICT) induction, high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) consolidation, followed by lenalidomide maintenance. After these initial therapies, most patients suffer a disease relapse and require subsequent treatment lines including ICT, additional HDCT and ASCT, or novel immunotherapies. The presence of somatic mutations in peripheral blood cells has been associated with adverse outcomes in a variety of hematological malignancies. Nonsense and frameshift mutations in the PPM1D gene, a frequent driver alteration in clonal hematopoiesis (CH), lead to the gain-of-function of Wip1 phosphatase, which may impair the p53-dependent G1 checkpoint and promote cell proliferation. Here, we determined the presence of PPM1D gene mutations in peripheral blood cells of 75 subsequent myeloma patients in remission after first or second HDCT/ASCT. The prevalence of truncating PPM1D gene mutations emerged at 1.3% after first HDCT/ASCT, and 7.3% after second HDCT/ASCT, with variant allele frequencies (VAF) of 0.01 to 0.05. Clinical outcomes were inferior in the PPM1D-mutated (PPM1Dmut) subset with median progression-free survival (PFS) of 15 vs. 37 months (p = 0.0002) and median overall survival (OS) of 36 vs. 156 months (p = 0.001) for the PPM1Dmut and PPM1Dwt population, respectively. Our data suggest that the occurrence of PPM1D gene mutations in peripheral blood cells correlates with inferior outcomes after ASCT in patients with multiple myeloma. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multiple Myeloma: From Molecular Mechanism to Diagnosis and Therapy)
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