Abstract: Herein the inventors demonstrate that mineralization is a natural ability of cells cultured with at least two elements: calcium and acyclic alkane phosphoester salt or inorganic phosphate salt. The present invention provides methods for producing hydroxyapatite (HAP) in cell culture by supplying cells with these elements. The natural HAP crystals produced by these methods may be utilized in biomedical applications such as bone grafting. Also provided are methods of measuring organic phosphates in a sample from a subject and methods of measuring the glycerophosphates in a sample from a subject.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of diagnosing and/or treating malignant or pre-malignant conditions in a subject. Overexpression of copy number variant-dependent genes, e.g., genes encoding a cell surface receptor, resulting from copy number changes compared to control is diagnostic of the condition, such as multiple myeloma or monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. Also provided are methods for treating malignant conditions, such as multiple myeloma or a hyperdiploid subtype, with therapeutic agents, with or without other anti-cancer drugs, to downrregulate the overexpressed CNV genes and/or up-regulate the underexpressed genes. Furthermore, methods for lowering drug resistance in multiple myeloma cells via inhibition of platelet activation or thrombin release and for increasing survivability of a multiple myeloma subject via lithibition of PSMD4 gene to increase b-catenin protein expression are provided.

Abstract: The present invention describes selective cell growth inhibition of myeloma cells by ellipticine derivatives, 9-methoxy ellipticine and 9-dimethyl amino-ethoxy ellipticine. The cell growth inhibition efficacy was highest for 9-dimethyl amino-ethoxy ellipticine among the ellipcitine derivatives tested. The cell toxicity of 9-dimethyl amino-ethoxy ellipticine was selective for myeloma cells and did not kill normal cells in the effective antineoplastic dose range. 9-dimethyl amino-ethoxy ellipticine was superior to existing antimyeloma drugs, Adriamycin® and Etoposide in eliciting early and better cell growth inhibition response.