BCMA

B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), also known as TNFRSF17 or CD269, is a cell surface receptor of the TNF receptor superfamily. It is primarily expressed in mature B cells and plasma cells, with little expression observed in hematopoietic stem cells or nonhematopoietic cells. BCMA, along with its ligands BAFF (B-cell activating factor) and APRIL (a proliferation-inducing ligand) are critical for survival of long-lived plasma cells. Cleavage of BCMA by endogenous γ-secretase, releases soluble BCMA that can be detected in the blood and acts as a decoy for BAFF and APRIL, leading to reduced activation of cell surface BCMA.

BCMA is both a marker and therapeutic target for multiple myeloma. It is highly expressed on malignant plasma cells in both newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients, and higher levels of soluble BCMA are present in the blood of these patients. Currently, numerous BCMA-targeted therapeutics – including bispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells – are under development or have already been clinically approved for treatment of multiple myeloma.

Imanis offers tumor cell line models for studies of multiple myeloma and BCMA-targeted therapies. These models have characterized BCMA expression combined with stable reporter expression for cell tracking in vivo.

Cell lines can be purchased individually or at a discounted rate for pairs/panels.