Multiple myeloma (MM) is the most common cancer affecting the bone and bone marrow\nand remains incurable for most patients; novel therapies are therefore needed. Bortezomib (Btz)\nis an FDA-approved drug for the treatment of patients with MM. However, its severe side effects\nrequire a dose reduction or the potential discontinuation of treatment. To overcome this limitation,\nwe conjugated Btz to a bisphosphonate (BP) residue lacking anti-osteoclastic activity using a\nnovel chemical linker and generated a new bone-targeted Btz-based (BP-Btz) proteasome inhibitor.\nWe demonstrated that BP-Btz, but not Btz, bound to bone slices and inhibited the growth of MM cells\nin vitro. In a mouse model of MM, BP-Btz more effectively reduced tumor burden and bone loss with\nless systemic side effects than Btz. Thus, BP-Btz may represent a novel therapeutic approach to treat\npatients with MM.
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