Stem cells are cells in the bone marrow that create blood cells. During a stem cell transplant, healthy stem cells are collected from the patient or from a donor. For multiple myeloma, a stem cell transplant is done with a patient’s own healthy stem cells. This is called an autologous stem cell transplant.

After the healthy stem cells are collected, induction therapy for myeloma is given for at least 3 to 4 months. This is the first treatment given to treat the myeloma. Then, intensive chemotherapy is given to destroy any remaining cancer cells. This is called conditioning regimen. After this therapy, the patient receives the healthy stem cells through an infusion to “fill in” and start producing healthy blood cells. 

In CAR T-cell therapy, the patient’s own T-cells are removed. These are a type of immune blood cell. These cells have the ability to find specific proteins on the cell surface and “mark” them to be destroyed. T-cells are removed from the patient’s body, although in the future using T-cells from a donor may be possible. The cells are sent to a lab where they are modified to specifically target myeloma cells. They can target them thanks to their affinity for specific cell surface proteins, such as BCMA.  

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The Myeloma ASCT Guide