Ex Vivo Induction of Multiple Myeloma-specific Immune Responses by Monocyte-derived Dendritic Cells Following Stimulation by Whole-tumor Antigen of Autologous Myeloma Cells.

The introduction of novel agents has significantly expanded treatment options for multiple myeloma (MM), albeit long-term disease control cannot be achieved in the majority of patients. Vaccination with MM antigen-loaded dendritic cells (DCs) represents an alternative strategy that is currently being explored. The aim of this study was to assess the immunogenic potential of ex vivo-generated monocyte-derived DCs (moDCs), following stimulation with the whole-antigen array of autologous myeloma cells (AMC).

Early tumor-cell gene expression changes may predict the response to first-line bortezomib-based therapy in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

Purpose: Maximizing the response rate to first-line therapy in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) is important because it leads to improved outcome. Gene-expression studies have identified prognostic gene sets in patients receiving bortezomib-based therapy. Comparison of the lists of genes derived from two gene-expression-based models (GEP70, GEP80) showed that they overlap in three genes, namely PSMD4, BIRC5, and KIAA1754.

Intestinal pseudo-obstruction associated with amyloidosis.

Intestinal pseudo-obstruction is a condition characterised by clinical manifestations of mechanical obstruction of the intestine in the absence of any organic occlusion of the lumen. This syndrome has rarely been reported to complicate the course of systemic amyloidosis. We describe the case of a 64-year-old man who presented with the syndrome of small bowel pseudo-obstruction secondary to AL amyloid infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract.