New treatment approach for hard-to-treat multiple myeloma
Official title: Novel Targeted Therapy for Refractory Multiple Myeloma
Funded at Rowan University · NIH-11074538 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new treatment for multiple myeloma, especially to help African American patients who often face tougher challenges with the disease, by looking at how a special molecule can make current therapies work better against cancer cells that are hard to treat.
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 | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $161,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM153547-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11074538 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are African American patients diagnosed with refractory multiple myeloma who have not responded well to standard treatments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with early-stage multiple myeloma or those who have not yet undergone treatment may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing a novel therapy for multiple myeloma, a type of cancer affecting plasma cells in the bone marrow. It aims to address the racial disparities in treatment outcomes, particularly for African American patients who experience higher mortality rates. The study investigates the role of specific enzymes, known as aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH), that contribute to treatment resistance in cancer stem-like cells. By using a new small molecule inhibitor, KS100, the research seeks to enhance the effectiveness of existing treatments and improve patient outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective treatments for multiple myeloma, particularly benefiting African American patients who currently face worse outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promise in targeting cancer stem cells and overcoming treatment resistance, suggesting that this approach could be effective.
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.
-
New targeted treatment for relapsed multiple myeloma
A new drug called KS100 aims to block ALDH enzymes to kill treatment-resistant myeloma cells in people whose disease has returned.
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How the protein ULK3 affects treatment‑sensitive and treatment‑resistant multiple myeloma
This project tries new drugs that block ULK3 and BRD4 to help people with newly diagnosed or treatment‑resistant multiple myeloma.
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Understanding how ULK3 affects multiple myeloma treatment resistance
This study is looking at a protein called ULK3 to understand how it helps multiple myeloma cells survive and resist treatments, with the goal of creating new medicines that could work better for patients whose cancer is hard to treat.
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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
A research team will build and compare computer models to understand how multiple myeloma develops, can be detected earlier, and treated more effectively.
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.