Exploiting gene dependency to inform drug development for multiple myeloma

Abstract

Despite recent advances in therapy, multiple myeloma essentially remains an incurable malignancy. Targeting tumour-specific essential genes, which constitute a druggable dependency, potentially offers a strategy for developing new therapeutic agents to treat MM and overcome drug resistance. To explore this possibility, we analysed DepMap project data identifying 23 MM essential genes and examined the relationship between their expression and patient outcome in three independent series totalling 1503 cases. The expression of TCF3 and FLVCR1 were both significantly associated with progression-free survival. IKBKB is already a drug target in other diseases, offering the prospect of repurposing to treat MM, while PIM2 is currently being investigated as a treatment for the disease. Our analysis supports the rationale of using large-scale genetic perturbation screens to guide the development of new therapeutic agents for MM.