# B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) in multiple myeloma: rationale for targeting and current therapeutic approaches

Source: https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-bcma-multiple-myeloma-leukemia-2020/  
OnCo record `paper-bcma-multiple-myeloma-leukemia-2020` (Key paper). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Review on BCMA in Multiple myeloma, in Leukemia (2020), one of the most cited Europe PMC records with BCMA in its title.

## Summary

Despite considerable advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) in the last decade, a substantial proportion of patients do not respond to current therapies or have a short duration of response. Furthermore, these treatments can have notable morbidity and are not uniformly tolerated in all patients. As there is no cure for MM, patients eventually become resistant to therapies, leading to development of relapsed/refractory MM. Therefore, an unmet need exists for MM treatments with novel mechanisms of action that can provide durable responses, evade resistance to prior therapies, and/or are better tolerated. B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) is preferentially expressed by mature B lymphocytes, and its overexpression and activation are associated with MM in preclinical models and humans, supporting its potential utility as a therapeutic target for MM. Moreover, the use of BCMA as a biomarker for MM is supported by its prognostic value, correlation with clinical status, and its ability to be used in traditionally difficult-to-monitor patient populations. Here, we review three common treatment modalities used to target BCMA in the treatment of MM: bispecific antibody constructs, antibody-drug conjugates, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T-cell therapy. We provide an overview of preliminary clinical data from trials using these therapies, including the BiTE® (bispecific T-cell engager) immuno-oncology therapy AMG 420, the antibody-drug conjugate GSK2857916, and several CAR T-cell therapeutic agents including bb2121, NIH CAR-BCMA, and LCAR-B38M. Notable antimyeloma activity and high minimal residual disease negativity rates have been observed with several of these treatments. These clinical data outline the potential for BCMA-targeted therapies to improve the treatment landscape for MM. Importantly, clinical results to date suggest that these therapies may hold promise for deep and durable responses and support further investigation in earlier lines of treatment, including newly diagnosed MM.

Indexed on Europe PMC as PubMed record 32055000 (DOI 10.1038/s41375-020-0734-z). Its title names BCMA and its text names Multiple myeloma; PubMed types it as a review (Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, review-article, Review). It was matched automatically to the idea "In vivo CAR-T manufactured and priced like a generic biologic" and no figure has been checked by an editor.

## Fields

- Kind: Key paper
- Last checked: 2026-09-22
- Tags: europepmc-ingest
- Journal: Leukemia
- Year: 2020
- DOI: 10.1038/s41375-020-0734-z
- Authors: Shah N, Chari A, Scott E, et al.
- What it means: One of the most cited reviews Europe PMC returns for BCMA in Multiple myeloma, so it is a natural first reading for anyone weighing the idea it is linked from. The record was linked automatically by title and abstract; read the abstract above and the paper itself before relying on any figure.
- Caveats: Matched by BCMA in the title and Multiple myeloma in the title or abstract of the Europe PMC record; the summary reproduces the record's abstract and no figure has been verified against the full paper.; A review summarises other studies; the primary reports it cites are the evidence.

## Sources

- Leukemia 2020: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-020-0734-z
- PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32055000/
- Europe PMC: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/32055000

## Connected records

- journals: [Leukemia](https://onco.cc/journals/leukemia/)
- ideas: [In vivo CAR-T manufactured and priced like a generic biologic](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-moon-in-vivo-cart-generic-price/)

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