Equal numbers (5,000/well) of CD138+/CD19− myeloma cells isolated from bone marrow of patients with relapsed multiple myeloma (n = 7) were cultured in the presence of varying concentrations of eltrombopag (0–100 μM) or 100 ng/ml rhTPO in the presence or absence of 10 ng/ml G-CSF and 3 U/ml EPO for 24 h and then exposed to 1 μM lenalidomide and 10 nM bortezomib for an additional 24 and 48 h to measure apoptosis and cell proliferation, respectively. Here, EPO is linked to plasma cell myeloma.