Potential new multiple myeloma therapy developed

A treatment for the incurable blood cancer Multiple Myeloma could be developed in the future if a groundbreaking scientific discovery is applied to new Leeds-based research into the disease.

Yorkshire Cancer Research-funded scientists at the University of Leeds are building on a recent high-profile discovery that found that even a modest reduction in the level of the human protein IRF4 in cancerous plasma cells results in their death but crucially leaves normal healthy blood cells unaffected.

The five strong collaborative research team believe this discovery, which was recently reported by a US group in the international scientific journal Nature, could now open up a "therapeutic window" for multiple myeloma sufferers who currently have a very poor prognosis of between just three to five years.

They plan to test the strategy on isolated multiple myeloma cells taken from cancer patients in laboratory-based culture at the University of Leeds and develop a potential anti-myeloma drug which they will later test through human clinical trials.

Dr. Joan Boyes, who is collaborating with Professor Eric Blair, Dr. Gordon Cook, Dr. Graham Cook and Professor Adrian Whitehouse on the project, said: "We will insert a genetically-engineered adenovirus of the type previously used in clinical studies into the Multiple Myeloma cell culture in our lab to deliver molecules that will specifically trigger a reduction in the IRF4 protein levels within the cancer cells.

"We will also examine ways to improve adenovirus targeting of these multiple myeloma which will hopefully lead to longer term studies where we can then develop the adenovirus as a potential drug compound.

"Multiple Myeloma is a really dreadful disease and it is the second most common cancer of the blood. Many current treatments do not efficiently kill the that are buried deep within the bone marrow.

"This piece of research is very exciting and if all goes to plan it could eventually go through to future clinical trials as it has potential to increase remission times in multiple myeloma patients quite remarkably."

Provided by Yorkshire Cancer Research
Citation: Potential new multiple myeloma therapy developed (2011, January 6) retrieved 29 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-01-potential-multiple-myeloma-therapy.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Two biologics studied for multiple myeloma

 shares

Feedback to editors