COMET version 1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Characterisation of multiple myeloma and extramedullary disease in the era of targeted immunotherapy.
IRAS ID
257342
Contact name
Reuben Benjamin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Myeloma is a blood cancer arising from a white blood cell called a plasma cell. Plasma cells are made in the bone marrow (spongy material in the centre of bones). In myeloma, plasma cells usually accumulate within the bone marrow but in some patients they escape and grow in other parts of the body. This is called Extramedullary Disease (EMD) and is thought to occur in up to 20% of patients but the exact percentage is not accurately known and may be higher. Overall survival for myeloma patients has improved significantly over the past 10 years, but unfortunately the same cannot be said for those who develop EMD.
We aim to find the true number of patients with EMD, identify the risk factors for its development and understand how plasma cells escape the bone marrow. At King’s College Hospital we will collect data on patients who have developed EMD over the past 5 years and identify associated risk factors for its development. We will analyse samples from routine biopsies (taken from bone marrow and extramedullary tissue) in the laboratory looking in detail at the plasma cells that have escaped from the bone marrow in order to understand more about the underlying biology and find new ways to treat the disease.
The second part of the project aims to improve laboratory techniques to overcome the challenges caused by targeted immunotherapy, a type of cancer therapy which helps the immune system recognise and kill cancer cells. Immunotherapies work by targeting specific proteins on the surface of plasma cells. However, the same proteins targeted by immunotherapies are also used in the lab to detect low levels of disease. We are looking to develop a technique called Multiparameter Flow Cytometry that can detect low levels of disease in patients who have received immunotherapy.
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/1701
Date of REC Opinion
29 Nov 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion