New targeted treatment for relapsed multiple myeloma
Official title: Novel Targeted Therapy for Refractory Multiple Myeloma
Funded at Rowan University · NIH-11324662 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new drug called KS100 aims to block ALDH enzymes to kill treatment-resistant myeloma cells in people whose disease has returned.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rowan University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Glassboro, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $161,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM153547-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11324662 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with relapsed or treatment-refractory multiple myeloma, particularly those whose tumor cells show high ALDH activity, would be the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with newly diagnosed myeloma in first remission or whose tumors lack ALDH overexpression are less likely to see direct benefit from this specific work.
What this research studies
This project focuses on the cells that can make myeloma come back by using a drug called KS100 that targets ALDH enzymes linked to those resistant cells. Researchers will identify which ALDH types let myeloma stem-like cells survive and test whether KS100 can kill those cells in the lab and when combined with the chemotherapy bortezomib. The work is primarily laboratory-based but is tied to human myeloma biology and hopes to inform future treatments that lower relapse risk. If the lab results are promising, the approach could move toward clinical testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could reduce relapse and make resistant multiple myeloma easier to treat.
How similar studies have gone: Targeting ALDH and cancer stem-like cells is a promising strategy supported by preclinical studies but has limited proven success in clinical myeloma trials so far.
Where this research is happening
-
Rowan University
Glassboro, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pandey, Manoj Kumar — Rowan University
- Study coordinator: Pandey, Manoj Kumar
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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New treatment approach for hard-to-treat multiple myeloma
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New treatment approach for difficult-to-treat multiple myeloma
This study is testing a new drug called KS18 that aims to help patients with multiple myeloma, especially those whose cancer hasn't responded to other treatments, by working alongside existing therapies to better fight the disease and prevent it from coming back.
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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
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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.