Basic and clinical studies on multiple myeloma have been focused since the 1970s. In 2005, the former Beijing Municipal Bureau of Health approved the establishment of the "Beijing Multiple Myeloma Medical Research Center", which is the affiliated unit of the Department of Hematology of Capital Medical University. It is the "Key Specialty of Multiple Myeloma" and "Denfeng Talent Team" of Beijing Medical Administration. It is also the chair unit of the Hematology Professional Committee of the Chinese Medicine Education Association.
Professor Wenming Chen, Director of Hematology Department, is the chairman of the Hematology Professional Committee of the Chinese Medical Education Association, a member of the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), and the Standing Committee of the Asia-Pacific Myeloma Working Group (AMN). He participates in the development of several international and domestic guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of myeloma, and proposes and promotes the establishment of a standardized diagnosis and treatment system for myeloma in China.
The hematology department of Beijing Chao-yang Hospital admits a large number of patients with myeloma every year, of whom more than 80% are patients outside Beijing. In 2018, the Beijing Municipal Medical Administration approved the establishment of the "Multiple Myeloma Expert Team", with myeloma as the core, to undertake the consultation work of difficult plasma cell diseases in China, and to undertake the task of training multiple myeloma specialists. In the past 5 years, the scientific research projects undertaken by the project director (unit) include 2 major special projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology, 3 projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2 projects of the Beijing Natural Science Foundation, 2 projects of the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, and 4 projects of the Sailing Project of the Beijing Municipal Medical Administration, etc. The scientific research funds have been about 24 million yuan. The Department of Hematology of Beijing Chao-yang Hospital cooperates with the International Myeloma Foundation to organize the Multiple Myeloma Summit Forum and the training course on the New Progress of Multiple Myeloma every year to become a leading diagnosis and treatment center for plasma cell diseases in China.
The Department of Hematology of Beijing Chao-yang Hospital, Capital Medical University is composed of the Department of Hematology of this department and the Department of Hematology of Beijing West Campus. The department has a total of 66 beds (including 62 general beds and 6 bone marrow transplantation wards). A large number of patients with hematological diseases are admitted annually. It is the seat of Beijing Multiple Myeloma Medical Research Center and the seat of the Department of Hematology, Capital Medical University. At present, Professor Wenming Chen is the director of the department, the director of the research center and the director of the department of hematology. The department has an excellent, young and energetic cadre of talents, including 5 professors/chief physicians, 5 associate professors/deputy chief physicians; 4 doctors and 13 masters; 1 doctoral supervisor and 1 master supervisor.
The center was established on the basis of the Department of Hematology and Oncology, Beijing Chao-yang Hospital. Since the mid-1970s, the Department of Hematology and Oncology of Beijing Chao-yang Hospital has been conducting clinical studies on multiple myeloma, especially in the past 10 years, physicians at all levels have conducted systematic studies in basic medicine and clinical diagnosis and treatment. More than 100 papers have been published in domestic and foreign medical journals. The following work was mainly carried out:
We are the earlier research institute in China. This study is of great significance in detecting minimal residual disease (MRD) in multiple myeloma and in differentiating benign from malignant monoclonal gammopathy. The study was awarded the second prize for scientific and technological achievements of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Health, the second prize for scientific and technological progress of the Ministry of Education, and the second prize for scientific and technological progress of the Ministry of Education.
Since the late 1970s, we systematically carried out the identification of monoclonal immunoglobulins in multiple myeloma, and this test has maintained characteristics of the department so far, with more than 1000 consultation cases from all over the country each year. This technique is recognized as an accurate and comprehensive test in China. Diagnosis is confirmed by 10 mL of blood and 100 mL of urine. We used immunofixation electrophoresis and determination of free light chain earlier in China to make a definite diagnosis for trace amounts of monoclonal proteins. In this study, an accurate diagnosis can be made for difficult patients.
The p16 and p15 genes are tumor suppressor genes. Findings suggest that homozygous deletion of p16 and p15 genes and inactivation of methylation patterns in multiple myeloma patients contribute to the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma. This research won the first prize of scientific and technological achievements of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Health. At present, drugs that reverse the methylation of genes have been used in clinical trials and have a good therapeutic effect.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a growth factor for multiple myeloma cells, and IL-6 exerts biological activity by binding to its receptor (IL-6R). Tumor necrosis factor (TNFa) and its receptor (TNFa-R) also have similar biological activities. We have included IL-6, IL-6R, TNFa, TNFa-R in the routine detection of multiple myeloma, which
Unlike leukemias, myeloma cells grow predominantly in the bone marrow, which is associated with the expression of a series of adhesion molecules by myeloma cells. Myeloma cells and bone marrow stromal cells interact to regulate the growth of myeloma cells. We found that the expression level of cell surface molecules in multiple myeloma correlated with the stage of the disease. Its expression level increased with the increase of disease stage. The expression level of adhesion molecules was significantly decreased in patients in the stationary phase after treatment. At present, drugs targeting myeloma and stromal cell adhesion molecules have been used in clinical trials.
It was found that the bone marrow microvessel density was significantly increased in patients with multiple myeloma. The increase of microvessels creates a favorable microenvironment for the growth of myeloma cells. Blocking the growth of microvessels can prevent the growth of myeloma cells. The study was supported by the Fund for Returnees of Overseas Students and the "Ten Hundred Thousand" Talent Project Fund of Beijing Municipal Health System.
Thalidomide and arsenic trioxide were used in clinic. The up-regulated and down-regulated genes of these two drugs were found through molecular biological studies, which laid a foundation for further study of the therapeutic methods and guiding the treatment of this disease.
Because multiple myeloma is difficult to cure. With effective treatment, most patients reach only a plateau. How to maintain treatment without relapse is one of the focuses of current research. We used patient-specific monoclonal immunoglobulins as tumor-specific antigens, loaded in vitro on dendritic cells of the patient, and reactivated T lymphocytes (anti-idiotypic T lymphocytes) of the patient, which specifically kill myeloma cells. This study was supported by the Beijing Science and Technology Nova Program.
- Director, Department of Hematology, Beijing Chao-yang Hospital, Capital Medical University；
- Director of Beijing multiple myeloma Medical Research Center
- Director, Department of Hematology, Capital Medical University.
- Beijing Municipal Hospital Authority Dengfeng talent team and multiple myeloma key professional leader
- Committee Member of International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG)
- Standing Committee Member of the Asian Myeloma Network (AMN)
- Chairman of hematology Committee of Chinese Medical Education Association
- Member, Hematology Branch, Vice Chairman, Myeloma Expert Committee, Chinese Medical Doctor Association
- Member, Standing Committee of the Hematologic Oncology Branch, Chinese Anticancer Association
- Member, Professional Committee of Integrative Hematology, Chinese Medical Doctor Association
- Won 2 national science and technology major projects(Group leader, deputy group leader)、
- More than 10 grants from the Natural Science Foundation
- Published more than 200 academic papers
