Their findings, published Sept. 2 in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications, suggest that the health of patients' immune systems may determine how long they will experience progression-free survival from this deadly blood cancer.
Sustained MRD negativity is defined as two consecutive negative measurements, meaning no evidence of detectable disease using validated, highly sensitive MRD tests, at least one year apart during maintenance therapy. "We have already launched a follow-up study designed to characterize myeloma cell biology and host immune cell biology of patients with long-term, sustained MRD negativity versus patients who convert from MRD negativity to MRD positivity," he said. "Ultimately, we are seeking to understand underlying mechanisms to develop curative strategies."Multiple myeloma is defined as a rare blood cancer afflicting about 6 to 7 per 100,000 people each year.
For this correlative study, researchers comprehensively profiled the immune microenvironment of 23 patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma receiving the drug lenalidomide and compared patients achieving MRD negativity one year after treatment to those who never achieved a MRD negative state or were unable to sustain it.
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