multiple myelomas is a disease of plasma cells in bone marrow that represents 1% of all cancers and 15% of haematological malignancies.

The team of Benoit Deprez and his collaborators discloses in the British Journal of Pharmacology the discovery of Insulin Degrading Enzyme as a novel biomarker and a new molecular vulnerability in Multiple Myeloma. This study also demonstrates the relevance of IDE inhibitors as boosters of proteasome inhibitors to better treat patients with MM. This discovery was made possible by a long lasting collaboration with Jérôme Moreaux(IGF Montpellier) France Elke de Bruyne (VUB Brussels, Belgium) and Wei Jen Tang (BenMay Department, Chicago, USA), and Peter van Endert (Necker Children's Institute, Paris).

In a recent study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, Professor Benoit Deprez's team (Institut Pasteur de Lille, INSERM U1177, University of Lille) discovered a new target for treating multiple myeloma, which accounts for 15% of hematological malignancies. This study, conducted as part of an international collaboration, highlights the potential of insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) as a therapeutic target in multiple myeloma. The authors show that high IDE expression in tumor cells is associated with a poorer prognosis. They also demonstrate that IDE inhibitors can potentiate the effect of proteasome inhibitors, key treatments for multiple myeloma, including in resistant forms.
These preclinical results open a promising avenue for strengthening the effectiveness of existing treatments and better managing resistant forms of the disease.

Enhancing antitumor response to proteasome inhibitors with inhibitors of insulin-degrading enzyme, a new molecular vulnerability in multiple myeloma
Laetitia Lesire, Rebecca Deprez-Poulain, Damien Bosc, Florence Leroux, Valerie Landry, Sarah Ourabah, Morgane Tardy, Clara Maillard, Ronan Gealageas, Julie Dumont, Adrien Herledan, Sandrine Warenghem, Manon Cruette, Celine Lenglart, Alexandre Biela, Catherine Piveteau, Eva De Smedt, Catharina Muylaert, Wenguang Liang, Elvira Garcia De Paco, Elina Alaterre, Sara Ovejero, Nicolas Robert, Fabien Delahaye, Wei-Jen Tang, Peter van Endert, Elke De Bruyne, Jérôme Moreaux, Benoit Deprez
2026 , British Journal of Pharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.70407

Drug Discovery Center
University of Lille – Inserm – Pasteur Institute of Lille