Multiple Myeloma Research Program

Multiple myeloma —the second most common blood cancer in North America—affects plasma cells, a type of immune cell crucial for antibody production. In multiple myeloma, these cells accumulate in the bone marrow, hindering the development of other blood cells and impairing immune function. It remains an incurable, difficult-to-treat cancer. 

Led by world-renowned clinician-scientists and researchers, multiple myeloma research at the Charbonneau Cancer Institute has made significant strides over the last 15 years. 

We have established a Myeloma Genome Unit, which focuses on studying the genetic and molecular profiles of myeloma cells. This work is supported by a myeloma tissue bank containing over 4,500 bone marrow and blood samples, facilitating collaborations across Canada and internationally.

We now have a better understanding of why this cancer is resistant to certain drugs and how immunotherapy can be used as a viable treatment option in some patients. One such treatment is chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, where a patient’s T-cells are genetically modified in a lab with “instructions” on what the patient’s cancer looks like and how to target it and then reintroduced to the patient’s body to find and kill cancer cells. Yet, limitations with CAR-T-cell therapies also persist. 

In Calgary, the team is investigating why MM cells can develop resistance to immunotherapy and how this challenge might be overcome, as well as discovering and testing novel therapeutic options.