 |
| Dr Sumita Ratnasingam with poster at the ASH in Orlando, Florida. |
Published this month in Blood, the abstract Bortezomib Yields High Response Rates in Antibody-Mediated
Autoimmune Hematological Diseases Refractory to Conventional Immunosuppression, is a collaborative research study led by Monash
researchers including Dr Rathasingam, Associate Professor Stephen Opat and
Associate Professor Jake Shortt. Other
contributors included collaborating clinicians from the Alfred, Monash
and Peninsula Health.
“The authors describe the first case series of bortezomib
use in autoimmune hematological disease,” said co-author Associate Professor
Shortt.
“Building on an initial case from Monash Health that was
reported in the New England Journal of Medicine (Shortt et al, NEJM,
2013; 368: 90-2), the anti-cancer drug bortezomib has now been successfully
repurposed in a range of non-malignant immune-mediated diseases.”
Bortezomib was designed to kill myeloma cells—these arise
from the part of the immune system that makes antibodies.
In autoimmune disease, antibodies from non-cancerous plasma
cells are produced and these can attack normal tissues, including blood cells.
“On this basis, we have now used bortezomib ‘off-label’ to
reduce antibody production in autoimmune disease, and it appears to be both
effective and well tolerated,” added Associate Professor Shortt.
The novelty of this work merited selection showcasing in the
‘Highlights of ASH in North America, 2016’ program, which provides a re-cap of
‘stand out’ abstracts from the ASH meeting.
Investigators at Monash Haematology and the School of
Clinical Sciences at Monash Health are currently developing a trial protocol in
which to formally test this approach prospectively in patients.
No comments:
Post a Comment