Therapy-induced senescence and immune activation in multiple myeloma
Official title: Therapy-induced senescence as a driver of immune activation and myeloid plasticity in multiple myeloma
Funded at Mayo Clinic Rochester · NIH-11433329 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | July 20, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $387,713 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA316533-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11433329 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma undergoing standard therapy including high-dose melphalan and autologous stem cell transplant.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not undergoing ASCT or not selected for longitudinal biopsy analysis may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project investigates how the common first-line treatment for multiple myeloma might cause cancer cells to enter a senescent state, potentially shaping immune responses and myeloid cell behavior. By examining patient bone marrow biopsies over time, researchers will look for senescence signals and their relationship to how long patients stay progression-free after autologous stem cell transplant. The goal is to understand whether this senescence-driven immune activation could be leveraged to improve long-term outcomes for MM patients. The work combines patient samples with translational analyses to link cellular changes to clinical outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to strategies that enhance immune attack on myeloma and extend remission after transplant.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work in solid tumors suggests therapy-induced senescence markers correlate with better outcomes, but this MM-focused study is designed to confirm and extend those concepts.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weivoda, Megan M. — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Weivoda, Megan M.
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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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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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.
-
Overcoming resistance to CART cell therapy in multiple myeloma
This grant aims to improve CAR T-cell therapy for people with multiple myeloma by tackling why some patients stop responding, using innovative approaches to boost cancer-fighting cells in the bone marrow.
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.