Why Does Myeloma Weaken Long-Term Immunity? New Research on Vaccines and Antibodies | IMS 2026

Noé Perron, PhD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute discusses research on how myeloma and its precursor conditions may erode long-lasting immunity at IMS 2026 in Glasgow. In more than 700 patients, antibody levels after COVID-19 vaccines faded within about two months, and protection from childhood MMR vaccines was often low or missing. He explains how growing myeloma cells appear to use up APRIL, a survival protein antibody-making cells need, and what this could mean for screening, vaccination and future therapies.

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Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
0:33 Why immunity matters in myeloma
1:11 The study: 700 patients and COVID-19 vaccines
1:48 Antibody levels fade within two months
2:32 Do other vaccines fade too? (MMR)
3:25 Looking for the cause: the protein APRIL
4:07 How tumor growth uses up APRIL
5:00 Public health: screening adults over 50
5:40 Implications for cancer vaccines
6:04 Should patients get extra vaccine doses?