New Strategies in Multiple Myeloma: Immunotherapy as a Novel Approach to Treat Patients with Multiple Myeloma

Abstract

Multiple myeloma is a B-cell malignancy characterized by proliferation of monoclonal plasma cells in the bone marrow. Although new therapeutic options introduced in recent years have resulted in improved survival outcomes, multiple myeloma remains incurable for a large number of patients, and new treatment options are urgently needed. Over the last 5 years, there has been a renewed interest in the clinical potential of immunotherapy for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Clinical progression of myeloma is known to be associated with progressive immune dysregulation and loss of immune surveillance that contribute to disease progression in association with progressive genetic complexity, rendering signaling-based treatments less effective. A variety of strategies to reverse the multiple myeloma-induced immunosuppression has been developed either in the form of immunomodulatory drugs, checkpoint inhibitors, mAbs, engineered T cells, and vaccines. They have shown encouraging results in patients with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma and hold great promise in further improving patient outcomes in multiple myeloma. This review will summarize the major approaches in multiple myeloma immunotherapies and discuss the mechanisms of action and clinical activity of these strategies. Clin Cancer Res; 22(24); 5959-65. ©2016 AACR.