Sharmilan Thanendrarajan, MD, PhD

Full Member

Research Program:

Cancer Therapeutics

Faculty Rank:

Associate Professor

Campus:

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

College:

College of Medicine

Department:

Internal Medicine

Cancer Research Interest

Disease Site Focus: Multiple Myeloma, Hematologic Malignancies
Research Focus Area: Treatment, Detection, Diagnosis/ Prognosis, Prevention
Type of Research: Clinical
Research Keywords: Multiple Myeloma, Relapsed Refractory Multiple Myeloma (RRMM), New Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma (NDMM), CAR-T therapy, bispecific therapy
Research Interest Statement: My myeloma research focuses on understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive disease progression, treatment resistance, and relapse in multiple myeloma. I am particularly interested in the clonal evolution and the role of immune dysregulation in shaping disease outcomes. My clinical research projects include investigating novel therapeutic targets, developing biomarkers for risk stratification, and studying the impact of emerging therapies such as CAR-T cells and bispecific antibodies. Ultimately, my goal is to translate these insights into more effective, personalized treatment strategies for patients.

Contact Information

Email Address: STHANENDRARAJAN@UAMS.EDU
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Open Clinical Trials

“A Phase 2, Open-Label, Multicenter Study of Arlocabtagene Autoleucel (BMS-986393), a GPRC5D-directed CAR T Cell Therapy in Adult Participants with Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma (QUINTESSENTIAL)” (NCT06297226)

Recent Publications

Schinke CD, Rasche L, Ashby TC, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Prognostic Impact of Focal Lesion Location and Persistence in Multiple Myeloma: Insights from Serial PET/DWI Imaging. Blood advances. 2025. PMID: 40590883.
Al Hadidi S, Ababneh OE, Schinke CD, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Long-Term Follow-Up of Patients With Multiple Myeloma Treated on Earlier Total Therapy Protocols: A Secondary Analysis of 3 Clinical Trials. JAMA oncology. 2025. PMID: 40471585. PMCID: PMC12142471.
Sun F, Cheng Y, Ma C, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Polyclonal plasma cell (PolyPC) signature as a key indicator for predicting the progression of MGUS to multiple myeloma. Cancer biomarkers : section A of Disease markers. 2025 42(6):18758592251344936. PMID: 40485257.
Mohan M, Szabo A, Cheruvalath H, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Effect of Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) Supplementation on infection-free survival in recipients of BCMA-directed bispecific antibody therapy for multiple myeloma. Blood cancer journal. 2025 15(1):74. PMID: 40268898. PMCID: PMC12018942.
Mohan Lal B, Pandey T, Alzubi M, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma: a real-world experience. Bone marrow transplantation. 2025. PMID: 40246944.
Mohan Lal B, Alzubi M, Alrawabdeh J, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Prior Exposure to Belantamab Mafodotin Influences Outcomes with Idecabtagene Vicluecel in Patients with Multiple Myeloma. Blood advances. 2025. PMID: 39938011. PMCID: PMC12051553.
Al Hadidi S, Ababneh O, Schinke C, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Long Term Follow up of Total Therapy IV: A Phase III Clinical Trial for Standard Risk Multiple Myeloma. Blood advances. 2024. PMID: 39786380. PMCID: PMC11934280.
Cheng Y, Sun F, Alapat DV, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Multi-omics reveal immune microenvironment alterations in multiple myeloma and its precursor stages. Blood cancer journal. 2024 14(1):194. PMID: 39505839. PMCID: PMC11541562.
Akhtar OS, Szabo A, Bhatlapenumarthi V, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Immune prognostic score predicts the risk of infection and survival outcomes in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma treated with bispecific antibodies. British journal of haematology. 2024. PMID: 39192546.
Al Hadidi S, Ababneh O, Schinke C, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Second primary malignancies after tandem autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma. American journal of hematology. 2024. PMID: 39109821.
Naqvi S, Shrestha A, Alzubi M, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Weight loss and dysgeusia in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients treated with talquetamab. EJHaem. 2024 5(4):789-792. PMID: 39157593. PMCID: PMC11327703.
Shrestha A, Alzubi M, Alrawabdeh J, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. B-cell maturation antigen-based therapies post-talquetamab in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. EJHaem. 2024 5(3):554-559. PMID: 38895072. PMCID: PMC11182413.
Guo W, Strouse C, Mery D, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. A Risk Stratification System in Myeloma Patients with Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation. Cancers. 2024 16(6). PMID: 38539451. PMCID: PMC10969019.
Mohan M, Monge J, Shah N, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Teclistamab in relapsed refractory multiple myeloma: multi-institutional real-world study. Blood cancer journal. 2024 14(1):35. PMID: 38443345. PMCID: PMC10914756.
Mohan M, Szabo A, Patwari A, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Autologous stem cell boost improves persistent immune effector cell associated hematotoxicity following BCMA directed chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cell therapy in multiple myeloma. Bone marrow transplantation. 2024. PMID: 38361116.
Guo W, Zhan Y, Mery D, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Prognostic value of ferritin in ASCT MM patients: integration with GEP models and ISS series systems. Blood cancer journal. 2024 14(1):30. PMID: 38355688. PMCID: PMC10866867.
Sun F, Cheng Y, Wanchai V, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Bispecific BCMA/CD24 CAR-T cells control multiple myeloma growth. Nature communications. 2024 15(1):615. PMID: 38242888. PMCID: PMC10798961.
Patel TH, Bachu R, Shrivastava T, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Psychological Impact in Individuals with Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance and Smoldering Multiple Myeloma. Clinical hematology international. 2024 6(3):54-60. PMID: 39345654. PMCID: PMC11428156.
Al Hadidi S, Ababneh O, Schinke C, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Three Years Maintenance with VRD in Multiple Myeloma: Results of Total Therapy IIIB with a 15-Year Follow Up. Blood advances. 2023. PMID: 38052037. PMCID: PMC10845028.
Sun F, Cheng Y, Chen JR, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. BCMA- and CST6-specific CAR T cells lyse multiple myeloma cells and suppress murine osteolytic lesions. The Journal of clinical investigation. 2023. PMID: 37883186. PMCID: PMC10760955.
Cheng Y, Sun F, Alapat DV, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. High NEK2 expression in myeloid progenitors suppresses T cell immunity in multiple myeloma. Cell reports. Medicine. 2023 4(10):101214. PMID: 37794587. PMCID: PMC10591052.
Ling W, Johnson SK, Mehdi SJ, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. EDNRA-Expressing Mesenchymal Cells Are Expanded in Myeloma Interstitial Bone Marrow and Associated with Disease Progression. Cancers. 2023 15(18). PMID: 37760488. PMCID: PMC10526862.
Hammons L, Szabo A, Janardan A, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. The changing spectrum of infection with BCMA and GPRC5D targeting bispecific antibody (bsAb) therapy in patients with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma. Haematologica. 2023. PMID: 37646658. PMCID: PMC10905074.
Fahmawi S, Schinke C, Thanendrarajan S, [et al.]. Under-representation of black patients with multiple myeloma in studies supporting International Myeloma Working Group guidelines. Journal of cancer policy. 2023 37:100433. PMID: 37468042.
Mehdi SJ, Ghatak K, Ling W, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Growth and dormancy control of myeloma cells by mesenchymal stem cells. Leukemia research. 2023 133:107355. PMID: 37499483.
Patel TH, Bachu R, Davis B, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Necrotizing Enterocolitis in a Patient With Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma and Hyperviscosity Syndrome: A Case Report. Cureus. 2023 15(7):e41292. PMID: 37539422.
Sun F, Cheng Y, Ying J, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. A gene signature can predict risk of MGUS progressing to multiple myeloma. Journal of hematology & oncology. 2023 16(1):70. PMID: 37386588. PMCID: PMC10308756.
Mohan M, Gong Z, Ashby TC, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Concomitant deletion of the short arm (del(1p13.3)) and amplification or gain (1q21) of chromosome 1 by fluorescence in situ hybridization are associated with a poor clinical outcome in multiple myeloma. Cancer. 2023. PMID: 37282609.
Thalambedu N, Damalcheruvu P, Ogunsesan Y, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Sixth Nerve Palsy From Multiple Myeloma in Central Nervous System: Case Series and Review of Current Literature. Cureus. 2023 15(6):e40998. PMID: 37503472.
Abu Za'nouneh FJ, Ababneh O, Schinke C, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Variability of definition of high-risk multiple myeloma across phase III clinical trials. EJHaem. 2023 4(2):454-458. PMID: 37206288. PMCID: PMC10188470.
Mazahreh F, Mazahreh L, Schinke C, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Risk of infections associated with the use of bispecific antibodies in multiple myeloma: a pooled analysis. Blood advances. 2023. PMID: 36857755. PMCID: PMC10331406.
Al Hadidi S, Dongarwar D, Schinke C, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Racial Differences in Spinal Cord Compression Related Hospitalizations in Patients with Multiple Myeloma. Clinical hematology international. 2023. PMID: 36737587. PMCID: PMC10241736.
Al Hadidi S, Szabo A, Esselmann J, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Clinical outcome of patients with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma listed for BCMA directed commercial CAR-T therapy. Bone marrow transplantation. 2022. PMID: 36550200.
Mohan M, Rein LE, Thalambedu N, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Corneal toxicity with belantamab mafodotin: Multi-institutional real-life experience. American journal of hematology. 2022 97(12):E451-E453. PMID: 36097868.
Al Hadidi S, Dongarwar D, Salihu H, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Ethnic Disparities in AL Amyloidosis Outcomes Among Hospitalized Patients in the United States. Clinical hematology international. 2022 4(3):117-120. PMID: 36131130. PMCID: PMC9492819.
Schinke C, Poos AM, Bauer MA, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Characterizing the role of the immune microenvironment in multiple myeloma progression at a single-cell level. Blood advances. 2022. PMID: 35977111. PMCID: PMC9647426.
Rasche L, Schinke C, Maura F, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. The spatio-temporal evolution of multiple myeloma from baseline to relapse-refractory states. Nature communications. 2022 13(1):4517. PMID: 35922426. PMCID: PMC9349320.
Alqazaqi R, Schinke C, Thanendrarajan S, [et al.]. Geographic and Racial Disparities in Access to Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T Cells and Bispecific Antibodies Trials for Multiple Myeloma. JAMA network open. 2022 5(8):e2228877. PMID: 36018590. PMCID: PMC9419017.
Gai D, Chen JR, Stewart JP, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. CST6 suppresses osteolytic bone disease in multiple myeloma by blocking osteoclast differentiation. The Journal of clinical investigation. 2022. PMID: 35881476. PMCID: PMC9479617.
Mohan M, Becnel MR, Shah UA, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Clinical efficacy of sequencing CD38 targeting monoclonal antibodies in relapsed refractory multiple myeloma: A multi-institutional experience. American journal of hematology. 2022. PMID: 35472167. PMCID: PMC10476149.
Al Hadidi S, Schinke C, Thanendrarajan S, [et al.]. Enrollment of Black Participants in Pivotal Clinical Trials Supporting US Food and Drug Administration Approval of Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T Cell Therapy for Hematological Malignant Neoplasms. JAMA network open. 2022 5(4):e228161. PMID: 35442451. PMCID: PMC9021907.
Abushukair H, Syaj S, Ababneh O, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. First- versus second-generation Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors in Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. American journal of hematology. 2022. PMID: 35358350.
Larsen K, Spencer H, Mohan M, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Feasibility of Outpatient Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Myeloma and Risk Factors Predictive of Hospital Admission. Journal of clinical medicine. 2022 11(6). PMID: 35329966. PMCID: PMC8955129.
Mohan M, Gundarlapalli S, Szabo A, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Tandem autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with persistent bone marrow minimal residual disease after first transplantation in multiple myeloma. American journal of hematology. 2022. PMID: 35285981.
Mikulasova A, Kent D, Trevisan-Herraz M, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Epigenomic translocation of H3K4me3 broad domains over oncogenes following hijacking of super-enhancers. Genome research. 2021. PMID: 34933939. PMCID: PMC9341503.
Baker D, Bimali M, Carrillo L, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Predicting risk of progression in relapsed multiple myeloma using traditional risk models, focal lesion assessment with PET-CT and minimal residual disease status. Haematologica. 2021 106(12):3215-3218. PMID: 34847659. PMCID: PMC8634177.
Mohan M, Kendrick S, Szabo A, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Clinical implications of loss of bone marrow minimal residual disease negativity in multiple myeloma. Blood advances. 2021. PMID: 34807986. PMCID: PMC8945288.
Yarlagadda L, Boerma M, Gundarlapalli S, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Salvage Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Daratumumab-Refractory Multiple Myeloma. Cancers. 2021 13(16). PMID: 34439174. PMCID: PMC8392190.
Boyle EM, Rosenthal A, Ghamlouch H, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Plasma cells expression from smouldering myeloma to myeloma reveals the importance of the PRC2 complex, cell cycle progression, and the divergent evolutionary pathways within the different molecular subgroups. Leukemia. 2021. PMID: 34365473.
Boyle EM, Rosenthal A, Wang Y, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. High-risk transcriptional profiles in multiple myeloma are an acquired feature that can occur in any subtype and more frequently with each subsequent relapse. British journal of haematology. 2021. PMID: 34244996.
Mohan M, Szabo A, Yarlagadda N, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Persistent bone marrow minimal residual disease as a "high-risk" disease feature in multiple myeloma. American journal of hematology. 2021. PMID: 34050985.
Schinke CD, Boerma M, Bird JT, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. PHF19 inhibition as a therapeutic target in multiple myeloma. Current research in translational medicine. 2021 69(3):103290. PMID: 33894670. PMCID: PMC8316274.
Mohan M, Tackett A, Kumar M, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Bone remineralization of lytic lesions in multiple myeloma - The Arkansas experience. Bone. 2021 146:115876. PMID: 33556629. PMCID: PMC8627246.
Boyle EM, Deshpande S, Tytarenko R, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. The molecular make up of smoldering myeloma highlights the evolutionary pathways leading to multiple myeloma. Nature communications. 2021 12(1):293. PMID: 33436579. PMCID: PMC7804406.
Deshpande S, Tytarenko RG, Wang Y, [et al., including Thanendrarajan S]. Monitoring treatment response and disease progression in myeloma with circulating cell-free DNA. European journal of haematology. 2020. PMID: 33107092.
Mathur P, Thanendrarajan S, Lopez-Candales A. Severe Right-Sided Heart Failure and Pulmonary Hypertension with Carfilzomib Treatment in Multiple Myeloma. Heart views : the official journal of the Gulf Heart Association. 2020 21(4):296-299. PMID: 33986932.
Pina-Oviedo S, Thanendrarajan S. Meningeosis myelomatosis. Blood. 2020 136(12):1466. PMID: 32941636.