(18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and computed 
tomography (CT) are useful imaging modalities for evaluating tumor progression 
and treatment responses in genetically engineered mouse models of solid human 
cancers, but the potential of integrated FDG-PET/CT for assessing tumor 
development and new interventions in transgenic mouse models of human blood 
cancers such as multiple myeloma (MM) has not been demonstrated. Here we use 
BALB/c mice that contain the newly developed iMyc(ΔEμ) gene insertion and the 
widely expressed H2-L(d)-IL6 transgene to demonstrate that FDG-PET/CT affords an 
excellent research tool for assessing interleukin-6- and MYC-driven plasma cell 
tumor (PCT) development in a serial, reproducible and stage- and lesion-specific 
manner. We also show that FDG-PET/CT permits determination of objective drug 
responses in PCT-bearing mice treated with the investigational proteasome 
inhibitor ixazomib (MLN2238), the biologically active form of ixazomib citrate 
(MLN9708), that is currently in phase 3 clinical trials in MM. Overall survival 
of 5 of 6 ixazomib-treated mice doubled compared with mice left untreated. One 
outlier mouse presented with primary refractory disease. Our findings 
demonstrate the utility of FDG-PET/CT for preclinical MM research and suggest 
that this method will play an important role in the design and testing of new 
approaches to treat myeloma.