IGF-1: An Important Myeloma Growth Factor

Last Updated on Saturday, 06 June 2009 19:11 Written by Administrator Wednesday, 27 May 2009 01:02

The Myeloma Beacon

A study published in the journal Blood suggests that certain myeloma growth factors may one day serve as a target for therapies. This particular study found significant results pertaining to insulin-like growth factor type 1, or IGF-1.

IGF-1 is a molecule produced in bone marrow that binds to the IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R), if present. Binding sets off a cascade of molecular events that ultimately stimulates cell growth. Many myeloma growth factors exist, and this study investigated five.

Using cell lines derived from human myeloma cells, the researchers found that of the five growth factors studied, IGF-1 significantly stimulated the growth of myeloma cells, as did interleuken-6 (IL-6).

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Mozobil With Neupogen Increases Stem Cell Harvest Efficiency

Last Updated on Saturday, 06 June 2009 19:09 Written by Administrator Monday, 18 May 2009 01:50

The Myeloma Beacon 

A new study in the journal Blood shows that adding Mozobil (plerixafor) to Neupogen (filgrastim) prior to stem cell harvesting significantly increases harvest efficiency.

Mozobil is a new drug designed to mobilize stem cells from the bone marrow into the bloodstream, where they can be collected. Neupogen, which is commonly given prior to stem cell harvesting, stimulates the body to make white blood cells.

When given together, Mozobil and Neupogen have been shown to increase harvest efficiency in myeloma patients prior to autologous peripheral stem cell transplantation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first approved Mozobil for use with Neupogen in patients with multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in December 2008.

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Broad scientists to sequence multiple myeloma samples

Last Updated on Saturday, 06 June 2009 18:43 Written by Administrator Wednesday, 20 May 2009 03:18

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) announced today a collaboration with the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT to systematically uncover the molecular changes underlying multiple myeloma by whole-genome sequencing of individual patient tumors. The MMRF will provide both patient samples for analysis as well as funding for the project. All data from this collaboration will be put in the public domain.

“We are delighted to work with the MMRF, which has been a visionary organization in accelerating cancer research for the sake of patients and their families,” said Eric S. Lander, director of the Broad Institute and professor of systems biology at Harvard Medical School. “Through our work together on this critical pilot project in whole-cancer-genome sequencing, we hope not only to advance clinical progress for multiple myeloma, but to build knowledge and technical capabilities that can be applied to many other human cancers.”

“Three years ago, the MMRF launched a partnership with the Broad Institute and the Translational Genomics Research Institute — the Multiple Myeloma Genomics Initiative — a comprehensive genome-mapping program to identity new targets and eventually new therapies for this incurable disease,” said Kathy Giusti, founder and CEO of the MMRF, and a multiple myeloma patient.

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Bortezomib added to melphalan improves myeloma response

Last Updated on Saturday, 06 June 2009 18:13 Written by Administrator Wednesday, 06 May 2009 01:04

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In patients with multiple myeloma who are ineligible for high-dose therapy, addition of the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib to melphalan plus prednisone improves response rate and survival, according to a multinational, phase III trial reported in the New England Journal of Medicine for August 28.

The VISTA trial, conducted by Dr. Jesus F. San Miguel, at Hospital Universitario de Salamanca in Spain, and colleagues, included 682 patients who were not candidates for high-dose therapy plus stem-cell transplantation because of age (65 years or older) or comorbidities.

Planned treatment for all patients comprised nine 6-week cycles of melphalan (9 mg/m²) and prednisone (60 mg/m²) on days 1 to 4. Patients were randomly assigned to no additional treatment (n = 338) or to bortezomib (1.3 mg/m², n = 344), to be administered 8 times during each of the first four cycles, then on 4 days during each of the remaining 5 cycles.

"The response was more rapid and durable in the bortezomib group than in the control group," Dr. San Miguel's group reports.

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New Agents for Multiple Myeloma treatment presented at ASH 2008

Last Updated on Saturday, 06 June 2009 18:18 Written by Administrator Sunday, 10 May 2009 16:44

 
At the 2008 meeting of the American Society of Hematology in San Francisco in December, there were several oral presentations of new and promising agents for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma.

Zolinza™ (vorinostat) and Velcade®
Zolinza is a histone deacetylase inhibitior that is being tested in a variety of lymphoid malignances. On October 6, 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Zolinza for the treatment of the cutaneous manifestations of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in patients with progressive, persistent, or recurrent disease following two systemic therapies. At ASH 2008, U.S. researchers reported that the combination of Zolinza™ (vorinostat) and Velcade® (bortezomib) is active for the treatment of relapsed/refractory myeloma.[1] There were 34 patients with relapsed/refractory myeloma in this study. The partial response rate was 26%, with an additional 21% having a minimal response and 53% having stable disease. Dexamethasone was added to Zolinza and Velcade in 21 additional patients. Two achieved a very good partial response, seven had a partial response, and 10 had stable disease. These authors concluded that the combination of Zolinza and Velcade was active even in patients previously treated with Velcade.

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