ACCELERATING THE FIGHT
AGAINST MYELOMA WITH
IMMUNOTHERAPY
WITH THE EMERGENCE OF THE EXCITING NEW FIELD OF IMMUNOTHERAPY, WE HAVE
RECENTLY BEGUN A THREE-YEAR $15MM IMMUNOTHERAPY INITIATIVE TO IDENTIFY
WHICH PATIENTS MAY RESPOND BEST TO NEW IMMUNE TREATMENTS.
Immunotherapy is the use of the
body’s own immune system to fight
cancer. Immune cells normally defend
the body from invading cells by creating
antibodies that allow foreign cells to be
identified and killed in the future. Cancer
cells are able to survive and multiply by
hiding from these immune defenses.
The goal of immunotherapy is to block
cancer cells’ ability to hide and help the
immune system recognize cancer cells
more easily.
The initiative will center on the
creation of Networks of Excellence
in immunotherapy for myeloma. Top
researchers from different institutions
will come together to collaborate on
three areas where the need for
discovery is most urgent:
“
reate new tests to identify
C
patients most likely to benefit
from specific immune treatments
I dentify why some patients
become resistant to current
immunotherapeutic approaches
stablish clinical trials using
E
promising new immunotherapy
treatments for myeloma
The above efforts will help expand
our Data Bank to include immune data
because precision medicine can also
be based on a patients’ immune profile.
Studies have recently shown that there
may be different immune subtypes
in myeloma.
Daniel Auclair, PhD, Senior VP of
Research at MMRF, along with The
MMRF CoMMpass Study SM team,
used CoMMpass data to demonstrate
that myeloma patients who have a
higher number of DNA mutations and
neoantigens (new proteins) in their
myeloma cells have a shorter time until
they relapse. These patients may be good
candidates for specific immunotherapy
treatments.
Working together, the best minds in
multiple myeloma will help us accelerate
groundbreaking immune therapies to the
clinic and to the patients who will benefit
the most!
”
Immunotherapy has transformed outcomes for patients with many kinds of cancers that previously had few effective options.
By applying our unique precision medicine model, we’re confident we’ll put the promise of a cure within reach.
10
— Paul Giusti | President and Chief Executive Officer, MMRF
T H E M M R F.ORG