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Sadaf et al. J Transl Genet Genom 2022;6:63-83 Journal of Translational
DOI: 10.20517/jtgg.2021.36
Genetics and Genomics

Review Open Access

Multiple myeloma etiology and treatment

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Humaira Sadaf , Hanna Hong , Mohsin Maqbool , Kylin Emhoff , Jianhong Lin , Shan Yan , Faiz Anwer ,
Jianjun Zhao 2
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Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
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Department of Biological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
28223, USA.
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Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
Correspondence to: Jianjun Zhao, Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid
Avenue, NB40, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. E-mail: zhaoj4@ccf.org
How to cite this article: Sadaf H, Hong H, Maqbool M, Emhoff K, Lin J, Yan S, Anwer F, Zhao J. Multiple myeloma etiology and
treatment. J Transl Genet Genom 2022;6:63-83. https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/jtgg.2021.36
Received: 22 July 2021 First Decision: 26 Oct 2021 Revised: 19 Nov 2021 Accepted: 21 Dec 2021 Published: 20 Jan 2022
Academic Editor: Susan L. Slager Copy Editor: Yue-Yue Zhang Production Editor: Yue-Yue Zhang
Abstract
Genomic aberrations comprise hallmarks of multiple myeloma (MM), a plasma cell malignancy with an overall
poor prognosis. MM is heterogeneous and has different molecularly-defined subtypes according to varying clinical
and pathological features. Hyperdiploidy or non-hyperdiploidy has usually been identified as early initiating genetic
events that can be followed by secondary aberrations, including copy number changes, secondary translocations,
and different epigenetic modifications, which cause immortalization of plasma cell and disease progression. Even
though recent advances in drug discovery have offered new perspectives of treatment, MM remains incurable.
However, understanding the molecular complexity of MM would allow patients to get precision treatment. Our
review focuses on current evidence in myeloma biology with special attention to genomic and molecular variations.

Keywords: Multiple myeloma, cancer genetics, targeted therapy, clinical trial

INTRODUCTION
Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable neoplasm of terminally differentiated B lymphocytes called plasma
cells, which occurs in bone marrow and secretes immunoglobulin . MM mainly affects elderly people, and
[1]
the median diagnosed age is 69 . It has a poor prognosis, and the 5-year overall survival rate is 48.5% .
[1]
[2]

© The Author(s) 2022. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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