The Bcl-2 family protein inhibitor, ABT-737, has substantial antimyeloma activity and shows synergistic effect with dexamethasone and melphalan.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the antimyeloma activity of a novel Bcl-2 family inhibitor, ABT-737, in preclinical treatment of multiple myeloma.

Experimental Design: The antimyeloma activity of ABT-737 was evaluated in cultured myeloma cell lines and patient myeloma samples, and in a xenograft mouse myeloma model. Drug combination therapy using ABT-737 with other commonly used myeloma drugs was also investigated.

The apoptosis modulator and tumour suppressor protein RBM5 is a phosphoprotein.

RBM5/LUCA-15/H37 is a nuclear SR-related RNA binding protein with the ability to modulate both apoptosis and the cell cycle, and retard tumour formation. How RBM5 functions to carry out these, potentially interrelated, biological activities is unknown. Since reversible phosphorylation has been shown to play an important role in the regulation of SR protein function, apoptosis and cell cycle control, in an attempt to elucidate the underlying mechanisms regulating RBM5 function, the phosphorylation status of RBM5 was investigated.