Investigating Cell Therapy in Multiple Myeloma: Adam Sperling, MD, PhD

OncLive spoke with Adam Sperling, MD, PhD, physician, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, instructor in medicine, Harvard Medical School, about the rationale to evaluate cellular therapy in multiple myeloma.

Sperling discussed how the disease biology of multiple myeloma has demonstrated clear involvement with the immune system, and immune escape is an important feature of the malignancy. As such, immune- and cellular-based therapies have been a cornerstone of treatment in this setting, Sperling adds.

In addition, myeloma plasma cells express BCMA almost universally, Sperling says. Moreover, BCMA is not present on normal cells, making it an optimal target for therapies, Sperling concludes.