Multiple Myeloma: Immunotherapy Helping to end an Uncurable Disease

Abstract

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a form of hematologic malignancy that affects the plasma cells and bone marrow in the body. MM is disease with no cure but can be sent into complete remission. Relapsing almost always occurs in patients who achieve remission of MM initially. Traditional cancer treatments are common for MM as well as some specific immunotherapy options, however relapsed MM often becomes refractory and unresponsive to these immunotherapy treatments. New immunotherapy mechanisms such as B cell maturation antigen targeting and anti-CD38 antigens are showing promising results in studies as treatment methods. No single method has clearly shown to be the best way to treat MM and development of these methods and other new ones is ongoing. Treatment of MM is advancing rapidly, but there is still no cure in sight.