Understanding multiple myeloma genetics and treatment outcomes
Official title: Integrative Oncogenomics of Multiple Myeloma
Funded at Dana-Farber Cancer Inst · NIH-11387058 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program looks at how genetic and molecular features of multiple myeloma relate to patient outcomes and whether high‑dose therapy helps people who become minimal residual disease (MRD) negative.
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 | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $161,714 |
| NIH project number | 3P01CA155258-13S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11387058 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with multiple myeloma who are receiving initial therapy, are eligible for high‑dose therapy/autologous stem cell transplant, or are willing to donate blood or bone marrow samples for research.
✕Less likely to help
People without multiple myeloma, those not eligible for transplant, or those unwilling to provide samples are unlikely to be eligible or directly benefit from this program.
What this research studies
At Dana‑Farber and partner centers, researchers combine lab work and clinical trials to learn how genes and cell changes in multiple myeloma affect treatment results. They are using samples and data from a large randomized group of about 716 patients to see whether people who become MRD‑negative still benefit from high‑dose therapy and transplant. The team will perform detailed DNA and RNA sequencing, study epigenetic changes, and build risk models linking these molecular patterns to outcomes. Results and data tools will be shared through a public portal so doctors and patients can use the findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors personalize care by identifying patients who can safely avoid intensive high‑dose transplant and those who need more aggressive treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier studies have shown MRD is a powerful predictor and some transplant trials exist, but combining a large randomized trial with deep genomic and epigenomic profiling is a newer 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
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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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.