Stand Up To Cancer Launches Dream Team to Detect Precursor Conditions of Myeloma
Posted: Wednesday, July 18, 2018
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) announced a $10 million award to a Stand Up To Cancer Dream Team focused on revolutionizing the treatment of multiple myeloma through the early detection of precursor conditions. The SU2C Multiple Myeloma Dream Team will be led by Irene Ghobrial, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, with Ivan M. Borrello, MD, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, as co-leader.
“This Dream Team significantly expands our Stand Up To Cancer portfolio,” stated SU2C President and Chief Executive Officer Sung Poblete, PhD, RN. “These efforts embody the central hallmarks of Cancer Interception, as the scientists are seeking the earliest possible diagnosis of [monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance or smoldering multiple myeloma] and then proactively intervening to stop the progression of multiple myeloma.”
In the hope of developing therapies to prevent myeloma in high-risk populations, the PROMISE study will conduct a population survey in the United States for precursor conditions of multiple myeloma, specifically monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance or smoldering multiple myeloma. Analyzing blood samples from approximately 50,000 people over the age of 45, the team plans to develop a better understanding of the molecular and immune factors that lead to disease progression and establish effective strategies to intercept disease progression and improve survival. The Dream Team will also identify lifestyle and demographic factors that contribute to disease progression, such as obesity and race. The information collected will be used to develop new therapeutics, including novel technologies of nanoparticles for better imaging of early disease and the first personalized neoantigen vaccine.