Key Information
AL amyloidosis is caused by abnormal plasma cells in the bone marrow that produce toxic light chain proteins. These proteins misfold and build up in organs. It is biologically completely different from ATTR amyloidosis and requires entirely different treatments like chemotherapy.
Understanding the biology of AL amyloidosis is key to understanding why your treatment works the way it does. While the name “amyloidosis” is used for several different diseases, they are biologically very different and require “diametrically opposed” treatment strategies [1][2].
The Biological Engine: Plasma Cells and Light Chains
AL amyloidosis begins with a “dyscrasia,” or a malfunction, in your plasma cells—white blood cells in your bone marrow that usually protect you by making antibodies [3]. In this condition, a group of abnormal (clonal) plasma cells begins overproducing one specific piece of an antibody called a monoclonal light chain