Optimal control of multiple myeloma assuming drug resistance and off-target effects.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell cancer that occurs in the bone marrow. A leading treatment for MM is the monoclonal antibody Daratumumab, targeting the CD38 receptor, which is highly overexpressed in myeloma cells. In this work we model drug resistance via loss of CD38 expression, which is a...

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Main Authors: James G Lefevre, Brodie A J Lawson, Pamela M Burrage, Diane M Donovan, Kevin Burrage
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-08-01
Series:PLoS Computational Biology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012225
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author James G Lefevre
Brodie A J Lawson
Pamela M Burrage
Diane M Donovan
Kevin Burrage
author_facet James G Lefevre
Brodie A J Lawson
Pamela M Burrage
Diane M Donovan
Kevin Burrage
author_sort James G Lefevre
collection DOAJ
description Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell cancer that occurs in the bone marrow. A leading treatment for MM is the monoclonal antibody Daratumumab, targeting the CD38 receptor, which is highly overexpressed in myeloma cells. In this work we model drug resistance via loss of CD38 expression, which is a proposed mechanism of resistance to Daratumumab treatment. We develop an ODE model that includes drug resistance via two mechanisms: a direct effect in which CD38 expression is lost without cell death in response to Daratumumab, and an indirect effect in which CD38 expression switches on and off in the cancer cells; myeloma cells that do not express CD38 have lower fitness but are shielded from the drug action. The model also incorporates competition with healthy cells, death of healthy cells due to off-target drug effects, and a Michaelis-Menten type immune response. Using optimal control theory, we study the effect of the drug resistance mechanisms and the off-target drug effect on the optimal treatment regime. We identify a general increase in the duration and costs of optimal treatment, as a result of these added mechanisms. Several distinct optimal treatment regimes are identified within the parameter space.
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spelling doaj-art-3a8d9909d9004f1dae94ef692b37a7ed2025-08-23T05:31:14ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Computational Biology1553-734X1553-73582025-08-01218e101222510.1371/journal.pcbi.1012225Optimal control of multiple myeloma assuming drug resistance and off-target effects.James G LefevreBrodie A J LawsonPamela M BurrageDiane M DonovanKevin BurrageMultiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell cancer that occurs in the bone marrow. A leading treatment for MM is the monoclonal antibody Daratumumab, targeting the CD38 receptor, which is highly overexpressed in myeloma cells. In this work we model drug resistance via loss of CD38 expression, which is a proposed mechanism of resistance to Daratumumab treatment. We develop an ODE model that includes drug resistance via two mechanisms: a direct effect in which CD38 expression is lost without cell death in response to Daratumumab, and an indirect effect in which CD38 expression switches on and off in the cancer cells; myeloma cells that do not express CD38 have lower fitness but are shielded from the drug action. The model also incorporates competition with healthy cells, death of healthy cells due to off-target drug effects, and a Michaelis-Menten type immune response. Using optimal control theory, we study the effect of the drug resistance mechanisms and the off-target drug effect on the optimal treatment regime. We identify a general increase in the duration and costs of optimal treatment, as a result of these added mechanisms. Several distinct optimal treatment regimes are identified within the parameter space.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012225
spellingShingle James G Lefevre
Brodie A J Lawson
Pamela M Burrage
Diane M Donovan
Kevin Burrage
Optimal control of multiple myeloma assuming drug resistance and off-target effects.
PLoS Computational Biology
title Optimal control of multiple myeloma assuming drug resistance and off-target effects.
title_full Optimal control of multiple myeloma assuming drug resistance and off-target effects.
title_fullStr Optimal control of multiple myeloma assuming drug resistance and off-target effects.
title_full_unstemmed Optimal control of multiple myeloma assuming drug resistance and off-target effects.
title_short Optimal control of multiple myeloma assuming drug resistance and off-target effects.
title_sort optimal control of multiple myeloma assuming drug resistance and off target effects
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012225
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