Hongjun Wang is Leading the Way to a New Era in Multiple Myeloma Treatment
Stevens researcher’s paper in Haematologica details a groundbreaking approach to keeping patient cancer cells alive — an essential step toward improving therapies to destroy them
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a blood cancer that affects plasma cells in bone marrow. It’s a particularly insidious form of cancer that runs through the entire bloodstream but is difficult to detect until it has already reached an advanced stage.
While the ultimate goal is to destroy the diseased cells, finding that elusive cure conversely relies on keeping the cells alive and growing for intensive study when they are isolated from the body. And it’s not an easy task. Human MM cells rarely survive outside the body, even when transplanted into test mice. Lab-grown cells don’t always behave like real patient cells. Either way, the cells are no longer viable for evaluating potential therapies.
However, Hongjun Wang, professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the director of the Semcer Center for Healthcare Innovation at Stevens Institute of Technology, is on a quest to change that model.
Wang and Johannes Zakrzewski, pediatric oncology physician at the Center for Discovery and Innovation at Hackensack Meridian Health, have jointly developed a breakthrough method that helps patient-derived MM cells flourish in mice. Their research project, “Intra-marrow delivery of human interleukin-6-loaded biodegradable microspheres promotes growth of patient-derived multiple myeloma cells in mice,” was recently published in Haematologica, a journal focused on blood diseases.
Creating a home sweet home for cancer cells — to uncover ways to eradicate them
The key to the team’s discovery is tiny biodegradable particles called microspheres, which release the protein interleukin-6 (IL-6) to condition an environment to help MM cells thrive.
"Using microspheres, we can replicate a more hospitable environment, similar to how freshmen settling into a new dorm feel more comfortable and less stressed when their surroundings resemble home," Wang explained. "By modifying the microspheres to be more welcoming for the cells and adding other supportive cells from the bone marrow, we can help the myeloma cells survive and grow."
Wang and Zakrzewski started with cells from a single patient who has plasma cell leukemia, a rare and aggressive form of MM. They injected the cancer cells directly into the bone marrow of mice with weakened immune systems, adding custom microspheres that slowly discharge IL-6. The microspheres are also porous, providing both an encouraging environment for cell growth and a protective barrier against attacks from host cells.
In this more natural, cave-like atmosphere, the cells survived for several months and even proliferated and spread — just as they do in a real patient. Adding a second protein, TNF-α, further improved MM cell survival.
The researchers also showed that microspheres could be used to grow bone-forming blood vessels and other types of cells that help MM cells survive. For example, MM cells grown with human blood vessel cells lived even longer.
And some mice developed the disease in other parts of their bodies — which could help scientists study how multiple myeloma spreads.
"By identifying the conditions that make the cells feel more at home for testing, we can also explore ways to remove these conditions so we make the environment less welcoming, inhibiting growth and ultimately killing the cancer cells," Wang said. "This dual approach — creating a supportive environment for study while also identifying ways to make real-life conditions less favorable for tumor survival — has significant implications for treatment."
Envisioning a brighter future for cancer therapies
Wang and Zakrzewski are now integrating this microsphere-based model with their research on tiny gold nanoparticles in cancer treatment. They also aim to expand their work to include more patient samples, refining the process and increasing its applicability.
Microspheres could also be a game-changer for personalized medicine.
"Although our study so far has focused on a single patient sample," Wang noted, "the long-term goal is to create patient-specific models. By developing tailored platforms based on individual patient samples, we could better predict which treatments will be most effective for each person."
Researchers in both academia and industry may be able to use this process to accelerate drug development and improve treatment options for MM and other types of cancer.
"Our current platform is designed to be easily adopted, which gives us the opportunity to create a model that other researchers can use," Wang said. "When we standardize it and test it thoroughly, others will be able to use it to develop their own models for testing. That's why I’m so excited about the tools we've developed — it will be an enabler, allowing even more experts to test therapeutics and drugs."
For now, it’s a ray of hope for the tens of thousands of people affected by multiple myeloma every year, and the researchers and healthcare professionals racing to significantly improve their treatment options.
"We’re proud that our work is pushing the boundaries of cancer research," Wang said. "We’re developing innovative models that could lead to more effective personalized treatments and hope not only for the tens of thousands of people affected by multiple myeloma every year, but also for the millions of people dealing with other kinds of cancers."