Research Projects

Multiple myeloma is a hematopoietic malignancy affecting bone marrow and its microenvironment. It is treated with immune modulators, unlike cytotoxic chemotherapy, which is used for other cancers. However, multiple myeloma remains incurable, and most patients eventually relapse and die. The focus of cancer therapy has shifted to monoclonal antibodies and CAR-T cells, with anti-CD38 and CAR-T cell therapy being the most promising. However, drug resistance to immunotherapy has been observed. Multiple myeloma has distinct stages of progression, from a premalignant state of MGUS to smouldering multiple myeloma, and finally to a relapsed refractory progressive disease state. Researchers propose studying the cancer-immune microenvironment of these evolving disease states at a single cell level using advanced technologies like single cell sequencing and multiparametric flow cytometry. This research could provide insights into how the immune microenvironment impacts cancer development, disease progression, and resistance to therapy, potentially opening new avenues for novel immunotherapeutic/modulatory approaches in managing multiple myeloma.