Multiple Myeloma (MM) is an incurable blood cancer, leading to weakened immunity, bone damage, and other serious health issues. The high relapse rates following initial treatments, make the search for novel immunotherapies urgent. However, the effectiveness of these therapies often depends on a functional immune microenvironment in MM patients.
Researchers from VIB and VUB now provide an interactive tool, based on a single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) atlas of the Multiple Myeloma immune microenvironment across disease stages, to guide developers of novel immunotherapies. Dr. Damya Laoui (VIB-VUB Center for Inflammation Research): "We have developed a comprehensive and detailed immune atlas of the evolution in human and murine Multiple Myeloma disease progression.
This new tool is freely accessible and can significantly contribute to immune-based patient stratification and facilitate the development of novel and durable immunotherapeutic strategies in Multiple Myeloma." Knowing the Multiple Myeloma tumor-microenvironment Multiple Myeloma (MM), characterized by the proliferation of malignant plasma cells within the bone marrow, is an incurable disease. Despite high initial response rates to different therapies, most patients eventually relapse and become multi-refractory.
Therefore, the search for novel immunotherapies is on. The efficacy of these immune-based therapies often relies on a functional immune microenvironment. Tools to perform an in-depth analysis of the MM tum.
