Risk Factors, Complications, And Treatment Options For Multiple Myeloma

Targeted Therapy

A specific form of biological therapy called targeted therapy uses certain drugs to bind themselves to particular protein receptors present on a cancer cell's surface. For individuals affected by multiple myeloma, monoclonal antibody therapy is a targeted therapy option that targets the proteins on multiple myeloma cells and kills them. Monoclonal antibody therapy drugs are carefully produced from antibodies and are conceived in a laboratory setting. Another type of targeted therapy method that may be used in the treatment of multiple myeloma is called proteasome inhibitors. Proteasomes are a type of enzyme present in the cells that helps dissolve old proteins so they can be re-made into new proteins. This mechanism ensures there is not a toxic accumulation of certain proteins in the cell. Proteasome inhibitors are substances that inhibit this protein recycling process to induce toxic protein accumulation that effectively kills the cancer cells.