Understanding Drug-Resistant Multiple Myeloma to Stop Relapse
Official title: Characterize Drug Resistance in Multiple Myeloma
Funded at Central Arkansas Veterans Hlthcare Sys · NIH-11428791 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying why some myeloma cells resist treatment and how to create new therapies to prevent relapse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Central Arkansas Veterans Hlthcare Sys NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (North Little Rock, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2024 |
| Project end | September 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2027 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX006235-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11428791 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with multiple myeloma, especially those who have relapsed after standard therapies or show signs of drug resistance.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose disease does not express the identified resistance markers or who cannot receive CAR-T–based approaches may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to identify reliable biomarkers of drug-resistant multiple myeloma cells and use that information to design therapies that target those resistant cells. The team has already mapped molecular signatures, analyzed protein expression across patients, and developed a prognostic protein risk score. They are also exploring bispecific-CAR-T cells that can kill both resistant and non-resistant myeloma cells. The work could lead to new treatment strategies that reduce relapse and improve survival for people living with myeloma.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from therapies that specifically target resistant cancer cells and reduce relapse.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research in multiple myeloma has linked molecular signatures to treatment outcomes, and targeted immunotherapies have shown promise, supporting a potential path forward.
Where this research is happening
-
Central Arkansas Veterans Hlthcare Sys
North Little Rock, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhan, Fenghuang — Central Arkansas Veterans Hlthcare Sys
- Study coordinator: Zhan, Fenghuang
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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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.