Projects & Grants
| Tumor microenvironment and clonal evolution in myeloma extramedullary disease | |
|---|---|
| Project Id | EHA-D2CEAE59 |
| Main solver | doc. MUDr. Tomáš Jelínek, Ph.D. |
| Period | 6/2025 - 6/2028 |
| Provider | EHA Research Grants |
| State | solved |
| Anotation | Modern immunotherapy has significantly improved the survival of multiple myeloma (MM) patients. However, prolonged survival seems to correlate with increased incidence of extramedullary disease (EMD). EMD is characterized by aggressive behavior associated with egression outside of the bone marrow, manifesting as solid tumors in distant tissues and organs. Thus, effective treatment strategies for EMD are crucial for further extending patients' lives. Unfortunately, current treatment options are limited in efficacy, likely due to an insufficient understanding of EMD biology. Our research aims to address this gap by investigating EMD tumor development and its resistant nature through a combination of various sample types and state-of-the-art techniques. First, we will compare the tumor microenvironment between EMD tumors and corresponding bone marrow (EMD_BM) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs), focusing on the presence and functionality of immune cell types critical for immunotherapies. Next, we will conduct unprecedented spatiotemporal analyses of genomic and transcriptomic changes associated with EMD, utilizing samples from newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients and three corresponding samples from EMD (EMD tumor, EMD_BM and CTCs). Importantly, in addition to genetic changes, we will perform chromatin accessibility analysis, as our previous research indicates that altered expression profile in EMD cells may be epigenetically modulated. |
