Final answer:
Proteasome inhibition, such as with the drug bortezomib, helps treat multiple myeloma by causing an accumulation of defective proteins in cancer cells, leading to cell stress and death. Multiple myeloma cells are specifically vulnerable to this process due to their high rate of protein synthesis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question addresses why proteasome inhibition is a therapeutic strategy in the treatment of multiple myeloma. Proteasomes are enzyme complexes that degrade unneeded or damaged proteins by proteolysis, a chemical process that breaks down peptide bonds. In multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, cancerous plasma cells multiply rapidly and produce an excessive amount of abnormal antibodies.
One of the key drugs used in this therapeutic approach is bortezomib, which specifically inhibits the proteasome. This inhibition leads to an accumulation of defective proteins within the cancer cells, which in turn causes stress and eventually cell death. This is particularly effective in multiple myeloma because these cells are more sensitive to disturbances in protein homeostasis due to their high rate of protein synthesis.
Bortezomib has been shown to induce apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in the abnormal plasma cells, while sparing normal cells. This selective toxicity is an advantage in the treatment of multiple myeloma. By impeding the proteasome's function, bortezomib effectively hampers the cancer cell's ability to manage and dispose of excess or faulty proteins, leading to cytotoxicity and a therapeutic benefit for patients.