Engineering Better T Cell Therapy for Multiple Myeloma
Official title: Engineering Effective T cell Immunity to Multiple Myeloma
Funded at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center · NIH-11420374 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-focused program to improve CAR-T cell therapy for multiple myeloma by making T cells more sensitive and able to target multiple cancer markers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | August 28, 1997 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $850,024 |
| NIH project number | 5P01CA018029-50 |
| Project ID | NIH-11420374 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with multiple myeloma who have relapsed or are refractory to standard therapies may be eligible.
✕Less likely to help
Patients unlikely to benefit would include those without measurable disease or with conditions precluding cellular therapies.
What this research studies
This grant aims to make CAR-T cell therapy more effective for myeloma patients by engineering T cells that can recognize more than one cancer marker and respond strongly even when markers are low. The project also explores ways to tune memory and stem-like properties in these T cells so they persist longer after infusion. By combining advanced T cell engineering with multi-antigen targeting, the work seeks to reduce relapse and improve long-term control of the disease. If successful, it could translate into more durable remissions for people whose myeloma has recurred after standard treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Potentially longer-lasting responses and fewer relapses for patients with multiple myeloma who have limited treatment options.
How similar studies have gone: CAR-T therapies have shown impressive responses in some myeloma patients, but relapse remains a challenge, making this approach promising but still developing.
Where this research is happening
-
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dhodapkar, Madhav V — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Study coordinator: Dhodapkar, Madhav V
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Integrative study of multiple myeloma genetics and disease biology
A team at Dana-Farber and partners is pursuing a long-term project to understand the genetic and molecular drivers of multiple myeloma and how treatments interact with disease biology.
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Comparative Modeling to Prevent, Detect Early, and Treat Multiple Myeloma
A research team will build and compare computer models to understand how multiple myeloma develops, can be detected earlier, and treated more effectively.
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How LDL Affects Multiple Myeloma: New Pathways to Keep Remission
A new grant is studying how cholesterol from LDL particles fuels multiple myeloma and how this interaction influences the tumor environment and immune response, with goals to help patients stay in remission.
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Therapy-induced senescence and immune activation in multiple myeloma
A study in people with multiple myeloma will explore how treatment-related senescence in cancer cells may stimulate the immune system and affect cancer return after standard frontline therapy.
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BCMA CAR-T enteritis: understanding immune toxicities in multiple myeloma
A broad study to uncover why some CAR-T cell treatments targeting BCMA cause severe intestinal inflammation in people with multiple myeloma.
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Understanding Drug-Resistant Multiple Myeloma to Stop Relapse
Researchers are studying why some myeloma cells resist treatment and how to create new therapies to prevent relapse.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.