Agents approved for MM treatment

DrugTypeTargetEffectResistance
Melphalan
Melflufen
Cyclophosphamide
Alkylating agentsDNADNA damage
Impairment of DNA replication and transcription
  • Misregulation/mutation of DDR pathways [2531]

  • Increased antioxidant defenses [32]

  • Import/export alteration [33]

  • miRNA misregulation [34]

Bortezomib
Calfilzomib
Ixazomib
PIPSMB5 (26S proteasome)Cytotoxicity by accumulation of aberrant proteins
  • BM microenvironment

  • Upregulation of aggresomal protein degradation pathways

  • Increased autophagy

  • Proteasome subunit mutations

  • Cell cycle misregulation [19, 20, 35, 36]

Thalidomide
Lenalidomide
Pomalidomide
IMiDsCRBNImmune activation
Impaired angiogenesis
Impaired proliferation of tumor cells
Apoptosis induction
Low CRBN expression or mutation of its downstream targets [3739]
Dexamethasone
Prednisolone
Methylprednisolone
CorticosteroidsGC receptorsGene expression regulation
Anti-inflammatory
Immunosuppressive
  • Excess of IL-6

  • Defects on GC receptors

  • FGFR3 overexpression [4042]

Doxorubicin
Pegilated liposomal doxorubicine (PDL)
AnthracyclinesDNA-Topo IIImpairment of DNA replication and transcription
DSBs accumulation
  • DNA-Topo II mutations or misregulation [4345]

  • Efflux pumps overexpression [46]

PanobinostatHistone deacetylase inhibitorsHistonesG1/S arrest
Apoptosis
Activation of tumor suppressor genes
Increased CXCR4, mTOR pathway activation, p21 up-regulation [47]
Daratumumab (DARA)
Elotuzumab
Monoclonal AbsCD38
CD319/ SLAMF7/CS1
ADCC, ADCP, CDC, immunomodulatory effects
ADCC, NK-cell activation
  • Downregulation of the target

  • Deregulation of ADCC, ADCP, CDC

  • Stromal cell production of anti-apoptotic proteins

  • PD1 and PD-L1 [48, 49]

SelinexorNuclear export inhibitorsXPO1Nuclear export blockade
Reduction of DDR proteins
(In vitro) alterations in signaling pathways downstream of XPO1 [50]

ADCC: antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity; ADCP: antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis; CDC: complement-dependent cytotoxicity