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.

 

Quebec City Multiple Myeloma March

Partner: CHU de Québec

Project title: Immunoglobulins in Multiple Myeloma Patients Receiving an Anti-BCMA Therapy: Subcutaneous (SC) Versus Intravenous (IV) Routes

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
  • Compare SC versus IV immunoglobulin administration routes (efficacy, cost-effectiveness, patient quality of life) to potentially change current practice
  • Improve the prevention of pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) infection in patients undergoing an autologous stem cell transplant by evaluating the routine use of two antibiotics.

    • 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

    Sudbury Multiple Myeloma March

    Partner: Health Sciences North Research Institute

    Project title: Outcomes of Myeloma Patients in Northern Ontario

    Principal investigator: Dr Sathish Gopalakrishnan, Hematologist, Health Sciences North, Sudbury, Ontario

    Project objective:

    • Analyze the survival outcomes of myeloma patients in Northern Ontario, characterize how myeloma has been treated in Northern Ontario over the past 10 years, and compare the local outcomes to provincial/national outcomes.

    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 myelo