This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a malignant clonal proliferation of plasma cells characterized by the excessive production of a single immunoglobulin protein isotype (M-protein). Our group was one of the first to propose a unified concept for the underlying pathophysiology of MM. This model proposes that malignant plasma cells fail to undergo cell death through apoptosis. VEGF is a molecule produced by tissues to stimulate angiogenesis. VEGF production by tumors is required for the vascularization, and thus, the survival and growth of tumors. VEGF. The VEGF Trap, a long-acting inhibitor of VEGF signaling, potently binds and inactivates VEGF, thus blocking tumor angiogenesis and growth in both animal models of cancer and in humans with a variety of cancers. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of VEGF Trap in patients with refractory or relapsed multiple myeloma (MM) and to perform correlative studies in order to evaluate the angiogenic properties of tissue from patients during the course of treatment with VEGF Trap.
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