Dr. Braunstein on the Bone Marrow Microenvironment in Multiple Myeloma

Marc J. Braunstein, MD, PhD, clinical assistant professor, Department of Medicine, co-director, Autologous Stem Cell Transplant Program, NYU Winthrop Hospital, NYU Langone Health, discusses challenges pertaining to the bone marrow microenvironment in multiple myeloma.

It has been shown that the microenvironment plays a crucial role in the growth of myeloma cells, says Braunstein. Typically, agents FDA approved for multiple myeloma target plasma cells and stimulate the microenvironment to disrupt myeloma cell survival.

Despite multimodal approaches, investigators are not seeing an improvement in cure rates, explains Braunstein. Targeting a myeloma stem cell and understanding mechanisms of resistance could further improve outcomes in the future.

Additionally, utilizing predictive biomarkers to guide therapy and further personalizing sequencing may increase remission durations, concludes Braunstein.