Multiple Myeloma Research

As one of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the country, Winship is an influential leader in the field of multiple myeloma research.

Precision medicine, an anti-cancer treatment strategy in which doctors use genetic or other tests to identify vulnerabilities in an individual's cancer subtype, is making waves in multiple myeloma treatment methods. Winship researchers have been working on how to apply this strategy to multiple myeloma.

A key strategy has been to test novel drugs and combine classes of drugs — proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) and monoclonal antibodies — for newly diagnosed patients and those with relapsed multiple myeloma.

Advancing translational research into immunotherapies that can be used to treat multiple myeloma is a pivotal step as well. This bench-to-bedside translational work is a deep area of focus for myeloma researchers. The multiple myeloma team at Winship, in collaboration with researchers from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, has been awarded a five-year, $5 million Specialized Center for Research (SCOR) grant from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). This prestigious award supports research focused on improving adoptive cell therapies, including CAR T-cell therapy, for patients with multiple myeloma and developing the next generation of promising myeloma therapies.

Looking ahead, there will be more focus on how molecular testing, gene sequencing and mutation analysis can help determine disease risk. Another area of research is looking at mass spectrometry to determine treatment paths based on protein analyses. The future for multiple myeloma treatment includes determining optimal therapy combinations based on disease characteristics, with the possibility of discontinuing treatment.

Our multiple myeloma investigators are national leaders in multiple myeloma research and discovery. Winship’s physicians and scientists are spearheading critical research in the myeloma space and conducting clinical trials and studies that are changing the way we look at and treat the disease.

Clinical trials are controlled studies that test the newest interventions on a disease. They offer participants early access to treatments that are not yet commercially available. As a research center, our physicians and scientists will make every effort to match you with a clinical trial that targets your unique cancer. It’s best if you enroll from the very beginning, so let your doctor know on your first visit if you’re interested in learning more about a clinical trial. Most clinical trials are supplemental, meaning you’ll still receive the standard therapy in addition to any treatment being studied.

Winship conducts multiple myeloma research at our Clifton campus. We welcome trial participants from all over Georgia and beyond. Talk with your doctor about whether you are eligible to participate in a clinical trial.

Our supportive oncology team can assist you with services, such as finding affordable accomodations near Winship for the duration of your clinical trial.

Clinical researchers at Winship, along with partners and community-based systems in Atlanta and throughout the state, are leading the Georgia Blood Cancer Trials Network. This network makes innovative, investigational therapies and treatments more accessible to Georgia patients with blood cancer who reside outside of metropolitan Atlanta, including rural areas where higher poverty rates and longer travel distances make clinical trial participation more difficult. At Winship, we conduct clinical trials as part of the network at multiple locations.