2024 Multiple Myeloma March (MMM) Research Fund-Sharing Partnership Program

The Multiple Myeloma March Research Fund-Sharing Partnership Program allows charitable organizations to partner with Myeloma Canada on their nearest MMM and be awarded a research grant of up to 50% of net proceeds!

We're pleased to announce that four applicants from 2023 will continue their participation in this year's program, and three applicants with new research projects have been accepted this year.

Participants of the 2024 MMM Research Fund-Sharing Partnership Program

Airdrie Multiple Myeloma March

Partner: University of Calgary

Project title: Sarcopenia in Multiple Myeloma and AL Amyloidosis: Impact of Treatment and Effects of Sarcopenia on Clinical Survival Outcomes, a Pilot Study at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre

Principal investigator: Dr Victor H. Jimenez-Zepeda, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Calgary, Clinician Scientist, Tom Baker Cancer Centre

Project objectives:

  • Assess the impact of sarcopenia (skeletal muscle loss) on survival outcomes
  • Evaluate if sarcopenia in myeloma could be used as a frailty assessment tool
  • Inform future programs that focus on preventing sarcopenia from progressing

Hamilton-Niagara Multiple Myeloma March

Partner: Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation

Project title: Comparing Outcomes between Progression-Free Survival (PFS) and Time to Next Treatment (TTNT) amongst Patients with Multiple Myeloma

Research team: The myeloma group at Juravinski Cancer Centre

Project objectives:

  • Explore the relationship between TTNT and PFS in myeloma to help clinicians make informed decisions about treatment selection, management strategies to optimize patient care, and the design of future clinical trials.

 

Kingston Multiple Myeloma March

Partner: University Hospitals Kingston Foundation

Project title: Impact of routine Septra prophylaxis in patients receiving an autologous stem cell transplant

Research team: Dr Bethany E. Monteith, Hematologist, Kingston Health Sciences Centre, Queen's University, Kingston, ON

Project objectives:

  • Improve the prevention of pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) infection in patients undergoing an autologous stem cell transplant by evaluating the routine use of two antibiotics.

 

Quebec City Multiple Myeloma March

Partner: CHU de Québec

Project title: Use of immunoglobulins in MM patients receiving anti-BCMA therapy

Principal investigator: Dr Julie Côté, Hematologist-oncologist, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec, Quebec City, QC

Project objectives:

  • Help clinicians better define the use of immunoglobulin in myeloma
  • Establish the relevance of immunoglobulin prophylaxis based on IgG level
  • Evaluate the impact of Ig administration on patients' quality of life.
  • Define vaccine response in this patient population.

Windsor-Essex County Multiple Myeloma March

Partner: University of Windsor

Project title: Establishing a Multiple Myeloma Drug Screening Platform to Predict Patient Response to Therapy

Principal investigator: Lisa A. Porter, PhD; WE-SPARK Health Institute, Distinguished Professor, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario

Project objective:

  • Establish an innovative screening platform to determine individual myeloma patient responses to select drug regimens

Vancouver Multiple Myeloma March

Partner: BC Cancer and the BC Cancer Foundation

Project title: Targeting Replication Stress Tolerance Genes for Myeloma Therapy

Principal investigator: Dr Peter C. Stirling, PhD; Terry Fox Laboratory, BC Cancer, Vancouver, British Columbia

Project objectives:

  • Develop new chemical inhibitors of Mus81 (a protein that functions as an important treatment resistance mechanism in myeloma)to help create a novel therapeutic for myeloma
  • Expand myeloma research activity in British Columbia