The clinical significance of B-cell maturation antigen as a therapeutic target and biomarker.

B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) is a cell membrane bound tumor necrosis factor receptor family member that is expressed exclusively on late stage normal and malignant B-cells and plasma cells. Addition of two of its ligands, B-cell activating factor and a proliferation inducting ligand, to normal B-cells cause B-cell proliferation and antibody production. Serum BCMA is elevated among patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and is a prognostic and monitoring tool for these patients.

Risk of skin cancer in multiple myeloma patients: a retrospective cohort study.

Immunosuppressed patients are known to have an increased incidence of skin cancer. Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) show impaired immune function. In the past, because of poor survival, the incidence of specific secondary primary malignancies such as skin cancer among these patients was difficult to establish.

Serum B-cell maturation antigen is elevated in multiple myeloma and correlates with disease status and survival.

Although TNFRSF17 (also designated as B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)) is expressed on tumour cells in B-cell malignancies, it has not been found in serum. The present study found that BCMA concentrations were higher in the supernatants of cultured bone marrow mononuclear cells from multiple myeloma (MM) patients than in healthy subjects. Serum BCMA levels were measured in samples from MM patients (n = 209), monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) individuals (n = 23) and age-matched controls (n = 40).

A modified regimen of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, bortezomib, and dexamethasone is effective and well tolerated in the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated synergy between bortezomib and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) for relapsed/refractory (R/R) multiple myeloma (MM) patients compared to bortezomib as a single agent. This retrospective study evaluated the efficacy and safety of a more frequent low-dose schedule of PLD, bortezomib, and intravenous dexamethasone (DVD) for patients with R/R MM, many of whom were previously treated with bortezomib. Twenty-eight patients with R/R MM were treated, and 23 (83%) had been previously treated with ≥ 1 bortezomib-containing regimen.