Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0026764 (multiple myeloma)
 36,148 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Gallium nitrate is the anhydrate salt of the naturally occurring heavy metal. It has demonstrated antitumor activity in a variety of murine tumor models, including Walker carcinosarcoma 256, fibrosarcoma M-89, leukemia K-1964, adenocarcinoma 755, mammary carcinoma YMC, reticulum cell sarcoma A-RCS, lymphoma P1798, and osteosarcoma 124F. Preclinical studies performed in rats, rabbits, dogs, and monkeys showed the dose-limiting toxicity to be renal. The hepatic, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, hematologic, and integumentary systems were also involved. The major route of elimination is the kidneys, with 35%-71% of the infused dose excreted within 24 hours. Three phase I studies suggested the following phase II doses: 700-750 mg/m2 by short infusion, once every 2-3 weeks; 300 mg/m2/day by short infusion for 3 consecutive days, to be repeated every 2 weeks; and 300 mg/m2/day by continuous infusion for 7 consecutive days, to be repeated every 3-5 weeks. The major organ toxicity reported was renal; however, this can be adequately controlled either by hydration and osmotic diuresis or by use of continuous schedule. (Either maneuver appears to allow delivery of the recommended phase II dose with a less than 30% risk of change in serum creatinine.) In limited phase II evaluation, the drug has shown antitumor activity in patients with either refractory lymphomas or small cell lung carcinoma, with total objective response rates of 28% and 11%, respectively. In addition, it has been effective in the treatment of patients with cancer-related hypercalcemia by having an inhibitory effect on calcium reabsorption from bone. Single-agent phase II studies are planned in all major tumor types. Some are already ongoing in patients with genitourinary malignancies (renal, bladder, prostate, testicular), small cell lung carcinoma, and multiple myeloma. Metabolic studies are in progress at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to further elucidate the mechanism or mechanisms of the hypocalcemic effects.
 ...
PMID:Gallium nitrate: the second metal with clinical activity. 353 51

Gallium nitrate was originally developed as an antineoplastic agent; however, further studies have revealed that this drug has extremely potent effects on turnover of bone, and that low doses can be used to reduce bone resorption. Like the bisphosphonates, gallium nitrate has been studied in both malignant and in nonmalignant conditions. The results of randomized double blind studies have suggested that this drug has superior clinical efficacy relative to etidronate, calcitonin, and pamidronate for the acute control of cancer-related hypercalcemia. In patients with Paget's disease, low doses of gallium nitrate reduce biochemical parameters of accelerated bone turnover, including urinary excretion of calcium, hydroxyproline, and urinary collagen cross-linked N-telopeptides. Preliminary studies showed similar effects in patients with bone involvement from a wide variety of tumor types. Based on this high degree of clinical potency revealed in clinical studies, two randomized Phase III studies have been initiated in patients with bone metastases from breast carcinoma and bone involvement due to multiple myeloma. Both studies employ cyclic therapy with low dose gallium nitrate (i.e., 40 mg administered as a subcutaneous injection once daily for 2 weeks, followed by 2 weeks off treatment, recycled monthly). The endpoints of both studies are to document reductions in time to "morbid skeletal events," such as palliative skeletal radiotherapy, stabilizing orthopedic surgery, or pathologic fractures, as well as decreases in pain and analgesic requirements and improvements in mobility and other aspects of quality of life. These trials should provide definitive evidence of whether this agent is safe and effective as a treatment for bone metastases.
 ...
PMID:Gallium nitrate for the treatment of bone metastases. 936 36

Gallium nitrate, the nitrate salt of the "near-metal" element gallium, is highly effective in the treatment of cancer-related hypercalcemia. Unlike bisphosphonates, gallium nitrate is effective in both parathyroid hormone-related protein-mediated and non-parathyroid hormone-related protein-mediated hypercalcemia. Gallium nitrate's effects on bone are clearly different from those of bisphosphonates. Gallium nitrate enhances calcium and phosphate content of bone and has direct, noncytotoxic effects on osteoclasts at markedly lower doses than those used for the treatment of cancer-related hypercalcemia. The drug may have clinical application in a variety of disorders associated with accelerated bone loss, including multiple myeloma. Gallium nitrate was originally evaluated as an antitumor agent. Its antitumor activity occurs at somewhat higher doses than those used in the treatment of cancer-related hypercalcemia. Gallium nitrate has substantial single-agent activity in the treatment of advanced lymphoma, particularly diffuse large cell lymphoma, small lymphocytic lymphoma, and follicular lymphoma. Because of its profile, including a different mechanism of action and minimal myelosuppression, the drug merits further evaluation in the treatment of advanced lymphoma. Gallium nitrate also has activity in advanced bladder cancer and may be useful in patients with metastatic or unresectable disease failing first-line chemotherapy regimens. Gallium nitrate exhibits a range of dose-dependent pharmacologic actions that provide a basis for its therapeutic potential in a variety of diseases and warrants further investigational evaluation as an antiresorptive and antitumor agent.
 ...
PMID:Gallium nitrate revisited. 1277 53

Gallium nitrate has been shown to be an effective treatment for patients with cancer-related hypercalcemia. Clinical studies have also suggested the drug may have considerably broader use in other diseases associated with accelerated bone loss including multiple myeloma, bone metastases, Paget's disease, and osteoporosis. The actions of gallium nitrate on bone are quite distinct from those of bisphosphonates. Preclinical studies show that gallium preferentially accumulates in trace amounts in metabolically active regions of bone. When present, gallium favorably alters the mineral properties to enhance hydroxyapatite crystallization and reduce mineral solubility. The drug also acts on the cellular components of bone to reduce bone resorption by decreasing acid secretion by osteoclasts. This effect appears to be mediated by inhibition of the ATPase-dependent proton pump of the osteoclast's ruffled membrane. Gallium does not inhibit the development or recruitment of osteoclasts to bone tissue, unlike many bisphosphonates that may induce osteoclast apoptosis. Together, these pharmacologic actions may yield a skeletal system with increased calcium and phosphate content and improved biomechanical strength. Gallium nitrate has potent antiresorptive effects on bone that can be achieved at considerably lower doses than are currently used for cancer-related hypercalcemia. Parenteral and oral formulations of gallium appear to have high activity in bone resorptive disorders, and thus development should be vigorously pursued in these diseases.
 ...
PMID:The effects of gallium nitrate on bone resorption. 1277 54

Multiple myeloma is characterized by bone destruction mediated by osteoclastic bone resorption. Skeletal complications of myeloma, including bone pain, fractures, spinal cord compression and hypercalcemia, result in significant morbidity. Gallium nitrate was shown in a small, randomized trial to attenuate the rate of bone loss in patients with myeloma treated with chemotherapy. In a retrospective analysis, we found that patients with advanced multiple myeloma treated with chemotherapy plus gallium nitrate had markedly prolonged median survival compared with similar patients treated with chemotherapy alone (87+ months v 48 months, respectively). These data suggest that gallium nitrate may have a positive, indirect benefit on survival in myeloma by decreasing the rate of bone resorption. Further evaluation of gallium nitrate to attenuate progression of disease in patients with multiple myeloma is warranted.
 ...
PMID:Gallium nitrate in multiple myeloma: prolonged survival in a cohort of patients with advanced-stage disease. 1277 56