Targeting DNA instability and evolution in myeloma
Official title: Project 4: Targeting genomic instability and evolution in myeloma
Funded at Dana-Farber Cancer Inst · NIH-11403930 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute studies how genetic instability drives multiple myeloma to evolve and resist treatment, with a focus on DNA repair pathways.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dana-Farber Cancer Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2011 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $315,950 |
| NIH project number | 5P01CA155258-14 |
| Project ID | NIH-11403930 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with multiple myeloma or related plasma cell cancers who consent to genetic studies and longitudinal follow-up.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with cancers other than myeloma or those unwilling to participate in genetic sequencing and follow-up may not benefit.
What this research studies
This effort follows people with multiple myeloma to understand why tumors accumulate mutations over time and how this affects survival. Using deep whole-genome sequencing, researchers analyze how different mutational processes and DNA repair defects contribute to disease progression and treatment resistance. The work seeks to identify biomarkers and potential targets in DNA repair pathways to guide future therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: It could lead to more effective, personalized treatments by targeting the DNA repair mechanisms that drive myeloma progression.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked mutational load and DNA repair defects to outcomes in multiple myeloma, supporting the potential of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Munshi, Nikhil C. — Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
- Study coordinator: Munshi, Nikhil C.
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
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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.