Developing a non-rodent xenograft model of multiple myeloma and its use in testing novel antagonists of JAM-A signalling

Dr. Ann Hopkins and Prof. Siobhán Glavey

Multiple Myeloma is an incurable blood cancer which causes certain immune cells to build up to abnormal levels in people’s bone marrow. It is often diagnosed late because people have few symptoms early on. However, it can then progress very quickly to aggressive disease, weakening bones all over the body and interfering with the production of healthy blood cells. Multiple Myeloma causes the immune system to fail and causes severe infections.

Treatments for Multiple Myeloma are not able to cure the disease. In order to make new treatments it is necessary to make models/mimics of the disease in research laboratories. Relative to cancers such as breast and brain, there are still very few patient-relevant lab models of  Multiple Myeloma. There are also fewer successful therapies for Multiple Myeloma than many other cancers.

Using the joint expertise of a blood cancer clinician and a cancer scientist, this grant will supervise two student projects to develop new experimental models/mimics of Multiple Myeloma and use them to test potential new treatments for Multiple Myeloma. These new treatments centre around a biological pathway called JAM which is turning out to be important in Multiple Myeloma, and which is known to be important in other cancers.

This grant brings together two expert researchers; one in myeloma and one in the biological pathway (JAM) who will work together for the first time on myeloma. In combination, this proposal offers a solid foundation for success in developing new models and treatments in Multiple Myeloma, alongside a strong connection to patients and issues of relevance to their care.