Application of mass spectrometry for the diagnosis and monitoring of real life patients with monoclonal gammopathies

Description

The research plan aims to assess the utility of mass spectrometry (MS) for diagnosing and monitoring patients with multiple myeloma (MM), amyloidosis (AL), and Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM). Specific aims include comparing MS with standard methods like serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) and immunofixation (IFE) for identifying and quantifying monoclonal proteins, evaluating MS’s ability to detect minimal residual disease (MRD), distinguishing therapeutic antibodies from endogenous monoclonal proteins, and examining post-translational modifications in M-proteins. Disease-specific objectives involve investigating oligosecretory and non-secretory MM cases, quantifying IgM M-proteins in WM, and analyzing AL cases lacking organic response despite reaching complete remission. The study aims to enhance diagnostic accuracy, refine treatment monitoring, and potentially enable broader patient inclusion in clinical trials.