The concomitant effect of anti-MM drugs in combination with COX inhibitors

Two cyclooxygenase (COX) isoforms produced by different genes have been identified, COX-1 and COX-2. Starting from arachidonic acid (AA), this enzyme is responsible for the bio-synthesis of prostaglandins (PGs) important mediators implicated in inflammation, angiogenesis and solid tumors growth. The involvement of COX in tumorigenesis is ascertained but their role in hematologic malignancies, particularly, in Multiple Myeloma (MM), an incurable plasma cell cancer, has been little investigated. COX inhibitors have shown to be immunotherapeutic agents in several malignancies, including hematological tumors and MM. Some study proven the usefulness, in the treatment of MM, of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with a different grade of selectivity in the inhibition of the two CPX isoforms. Therefore, in order o clarify the role of cyclooxygenase in MM, we investigated the expression at the protein levels of COX-1 and COX-2 in six different human myeloma cell lines . Furthermore, we evaluated growth inhibitory effects of selective COX inhibitors