Multiple Myeloma Treatment: On the Brink of Prime Time

Over the past three decades, tremendous achievements have been made in the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma (MM), resulting in a dramatically improved disease course for this, the second most common hematologic malignancy. MM, once classically described as an incurable disease often accompanied by severe clinical conditions such as renal impairment and bone disease—sometimes leading to multiorgan failure—is steadily assuming the characteristics of a well-controlled chronic illness, and there is now even a realistic possibility of achieving cure in some patients.

Clinical progress in myeloma has relied heavily on advances in preclinical and translational science, which have provided important insights into disease biology. These discoveries have enabled the identification of prognostic biomarkers that impact treatment efficacy and outcomes, paving the way for the concepts of personalized medicine and treatment tailored to the unique biological and clinical profiles of individual patients. The specific molecular and genetic signatures that define the proteogenomic landscape are now incorporated into various prognostic indices, each implying certain prognostic features and resulting in varying treatment outcomes. Furthermore, the current approach of continuous therapy until disease progression has highlighted the importance of minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring.

Key questions remain: Which protocol is appropriate for which patient—triplets or quadruplets? How do we define a high-risk MM patient, and how can we distinguish between fit, intermediate-fit, and frail patients? Is autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) still the gold standard for first-line treatment in the era of novel therapies with innovative mechanisms of action? How do we stratify and sequence the various immunotherapies? When should chimeric antigen receptor-modified T (CAR-T) cells be applied? How can we best manage the adverse events associated with new immuno- and cellular therapies? When is the use of cereblon E3 ligase modulatory drugs (CELMoDs) appropriate? The goal of this Special Issue is to provide answers to some of these important questions.

This Research Topic welcomes Original Research Articles, Brief Research Reports, Reviews, and Mini Reviews focusing on, but not limited to:

- Prognostic markers and indices in MM
- The role of proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs in MM treatment
- The role of ASCT in the era of new MM therapies
- The concept and clinical utility of MRD in MM patients
- Anti-CD38 antibodies in MM treatment
- Bispecific antibodies in MM management
- Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in MM treatment
- The role of CAR-T therapies in MM
- Management of adverse events from new MM treatment modalities

Please note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analyses, or predictions from public databases, and not accompanied by independent validation—such as validation in a clinical or patient cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo—are not suitable for publication in this journal.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Multiple myeloma, Minimal Residual Disease, biomarkers, bispecific antibodies, Antibody-drug conjugates

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.