This project aims to investigate the relationship between diet, microbiome composition, and response to standard-of-care treatment in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients. Stool samples from 150 NDMM patients will be analyzed alongside dietary data collected through interviews. These findings will be correlated with metabolome biomarkers using serum mass spectrometry. Patient-derived results will be validated … Continued

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy represents a breakthrough in cancer treatment and has achieved unprecedented success in hematologic malignancies. Recent advances in autologous CAR T-cell therapies utilize a patient’s own immune T cells, but “”off-the-shelf”” allogeneic CAR T cells have many potential advantages over autologous approaches, including immediate availability of cryopreserved batches, potential standardization … Continued

In over half of multiple myeloma patients, RAS mutation is prevalent, presenting a currently undruggable target. Previous research conducted by the Lentzsch Lab revealed an upregulation of germinal center kinase (GCK) associated with RAS mutations, offering a new therapeutic approach (Li et al., Blood, 2021). Inhibition of GCK, achieved through either knockout or drug intervention, … Continued

Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation represents a widely accessible therapy in Latin America, particularly crucial given the limited availability of new medications in the region, including monoclonal antibodies, next-generation proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulators, and advanced cellular therapies. This study aims to assess the impact of the genetic profile, particularly single nucleotide variants (SNVs), on the clinical outcomes … Continued

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a rare neoplastic disorder characterized by uncontrolled clonal proliferation of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow (BM). In the last decade, the therapeutic approaches to treat MM patients have been improved. Nevertheless, the urgent need to identify new therapeutic targets remains to develop more effective strategies against this uncurable disease. … Continued

In this collaborative research project, we aim to identify and develop blood biomarkers improving MGUS follow-up. To achieve this, blood-based proteomic analysis using untargeted i3-D/LC mass spectrometry in unique prospective longitudinal blood samples (n=880) collected in participants of the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study (UmeÃ¥ University, Sweden) is performed. Routine and novel biomarkers will … Continued

Copy Number Alterations (CNAs) play a key role in the Multiple Myeloma (MM) pathogenesis and prognostic stratification of the disease. For this reason, it is of particular biological and clinical interest to study the temporal occurrence of early alterations over the developmental history of MM. This, in order to identify specific altered chromosomal regions or … Continued

This research project focuses on optimizing melphalan dosing for older adults undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for multiple myeloma (MM). While ASCT with high-dose melphalan is effective, older adults are at increased risk of severe toxicities, impacting their quality of life. Currently, there’s uncertainty about the appropriate melphalan dose for older adults, with many … Continued

Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation represents a widely accessible therapy in Latin America, particularly crucial given the limited availability of new medications in the region, including monoclonal antibodies, next-generation proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulators, and advanced cellular therapies. This study aims to assess the impact of the genetic profile, particularly single nucleotide variants (SNVs), on the clinical outcomes … Continued

The research project aims to understand the molecular mechanisms behind microenvironment-dependent immune escape to natural killer (NK) cells in myeloma, with the goal of identifying biomarkers for rational combination treatment strategies. Aim 1 involves validating candidate markers of NK cell resistance and investigating NK cell adaptive changes in primary myeloma samples at different disease stages … Continued