Chapter 15
Multiple Myeloma: Role of Magnetic
Nanoparticles
Raghvendra A. Bohara and Priyanaka Singh
Abstract With rapid progress in nanomedicine, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs)
have been proved as a promising theranostics tool in biomedical applications includ-
ing diagnostic imaging, drug delivery, and novel therapeutics. Multiple myeloma is
a hematological malignancy with relapse rate greater than 90%. Limitations in the
treatment of MM are the serious side effects caused by drugs used in chemotherapy.
The emphasis in cancer treatment has shifted from cytotoxic, non-specific chemother-
apies to molecularly targeted and rationally designed therapies showing greater effi-
cacy with fewer side effects. Nanomedicine may help to address these issues and a
revolutionary treatment. Here, we explained brief insights of MM, the key pathways
that play a vital role in the development of the disease and the role of magnetic
nanoparticles in the diagnosis and treatment of the MM.
Keywords Magnetic nanoparticles · Multiple myeloma · Targeted drug delivery ·
Novel therapy
Introduction
Multiple myeloma (MM) is an abnormal malignancy of plasma cell, characterized by
diminished immune surveillance mechanism, such as altered antibody production,
crookedness of T cell and natural killer cell proliferation and activation, disorder-
ing of antigen presentation processes, and upregulation of cell cycle checkpoints
and immunosuppressive mediators. MM is also signified by increased production
of abnormal immunoglobulins which require tertiary folding in the endoplasmic
reticulum (Ghobrial et al. 2019; Saunders 2005; Usmani and Chiosis 2011). MM
cells activate varieties of signaling cascades by reacting with the microenvironment
of different cells like endothelial cells, bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) and
R. A. Bohara (B ) · P. Singh
Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, D. Y. Patil University, Kolhapur, M.S., India
e-mail: raghvendrabohara@gmail.com
R. A. Bohara
CÚRAM, SFI, Center for Research in Medical Devices, National University of Ireland Galway,
Ireland, Galway, Ireland
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
S. K. Sharma and Y. Javed (eds.), Magnetic Nanoheterostructures, Nanomedicine and
Nanotoxicology, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39923-8_15
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