Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Diagnosis of multiple myeloma

- Newly diagnosed disease

- Durie-Salmon stage II or III disease

- Measurable disease, defined by any of the following:

- Measurable serum and/or urine M-protein levels documented and available prior to
induction therapy

- Positive serum free light chain assay

- Must have completed a minimum of 3 courses of myeloma specific therapy

- Candidate for autologous stem cell transplantation

- Patients who have achieved a complete remission at the time of bone marrow harvest
for marrow infiltrating lymphocytes (MILs) expansion are not eligible

- No evidence of spinal cord compression

- Diagnosis of the following cancers are not allowed:

- POEMS syndrome (plasma cell dyscrasia with polyneuropathy, organomegaly,
endocrinopathy, monoclonal protein and skin changes)

- Non-secretory myeloma (no measurable protein on serum free light chain assay)

- Plasma cell leukemia

- No amyloidosis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- ECOG performance status 0-2

- Life expectancy ≥ 6 months

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and up to day 180

- Corrected serum calcium < 11 mg/dL and no evidence of symptomatic hypercalcemia

- Total bilirubin ≤ 2.0 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- ALT ≤ 2.0 times ULN

- Serum creatinine < 2.0 mg/dL

- No history of other malignancy within the past 5 years, except adequately treated
basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer

- No history of autoimmune disease (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis,
systemic lupus erythematosus) requiring systemic treatment

- Hypothyroidism without evidence of Graves' disease or Hashimoto thyroiditis is
allowed

- No infection requiring treatment with antibiotics, antifungal, or antiviral agents
within the past 7 days

- No HIV infection

- No major organ system dysfunction including, but not limited to, the following:

- New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure

- Pulmonary disease requiring the use of inhaled steroids or bronchodilators

- Renal, hepatic, gastrointestinal, neurologic, or psychiatric dysfunction that
would impair ability to participate in the study

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- See Disease Characteristics

- No prior hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

- At least 3 weeks since prior corticosteroids (i.e., glucocorticoids)

- At least 3 weeks since prior myeloma-specific therapy

- At least 4 weeks since participation in any clinical trial that involved an
investigational drug or device

- No concurrent therapy with any of the following:

- Corticosteroids (e.g., hydrocortisone, prednisone, prednisolone, dexamethasone
[Decadron])

- Inhaled steroids used for treatment of allergic rhinitis or pulmonary
disease allowed

- Thalidomide

- Interferon

- Growth factors, interleukins, or other cytokines (except filgrastim [G-CSF] as
outlined in the protocol, or erythropoietin)

- Cytotoxic chemotherapy agents (except cyclophosphamide for stem cell
mobilization and high-dose melphalan)

- Immunosuppressive drugs

- Experimental therapies

- Radiotherapy