Zn-DDC to Target Hypoxia-NFkappaB-CSCs Pathway in Multiple Myeloma

The outlook for patients with haematological malignancies remains challenging. It has been shown in some early cancer studies that a particular drug called Zn-DDC otherwise known as Imuthiol is highly toxic to cancer stem cells. Imuthiol has been intravenously used in clinical trials with an excellent safety record. Recent novel therapy and immunotherapy in haematological malignancies have improved outcome and survival but come with an increasing cost burden. Imuthiol could be an ideal affordable drug to study on it's own as well as in combination with other drugs in myeloma and other haematological malignancies. This may lead to potential combination therapies which will be very effective as well as affordable in the future. There is the need to look to see if this drug, Imuthiol and along with complementary drugs lenalidomide (Revlimid) and pomalidomide (Pomalyst) can help in haematological malignancy treatment. In order to do this there is the need to see how the cancer cells respond to the drugs in the laboratory before being able to trial the drug (or combination of drugs) out for treatment. The success of this study may lead to quick translation of Imuthiol into haematological malignancy treatment.