Integrated next-generation flow cytometry and sequencing to uncover the pathway of curability in multiple myeloma

Project Information

MYELOMANEXT

Grant agreement ID: 680200

DOI

10.3030/680200

Project closed

EC signature date 11 August 2016

Start date 1 September 2016

End date 28 February 2022

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 1 468 606,00

EU contribution

€ 1 468 606,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSIDAD DE NAVARRA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 4 - MYELOMANEXT (Integrated next-generation flow cytometry and sequencing to uncover the pathway of curability in multiple myeloma)

Reporting period: 2021-03-01 to 2022-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

According to the European Network of Cancer Registries, around 60,000 people are living with Multiple myeloma (MM) in Europe and there are 21,420 new cases and 15,000 deaths every year. Continuous treatment of MM has become one of the most expensive among haematological malignancies and it fails to cure most patients with this disease. In this project, we aim to help drawing the pathway of curing MM by addressing critical questions that remain unanswered: “Are there MM cancer stem cells?”, “Why does a quiescent clone become aggressive in some patients while remains stable in others?”, “What are the mechanisms responsible for primary and acquired chemoresistance?”, and “What drives disease dissemination?”. The successful execution of this project is expected to provide a framework of data and research models to accelerate curing MM. Due to the similarity between this disease and some hematological malignancies and even solid tumors, the deliverables of this project could be of major long-term benefit to the society.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The amount of work performed can be measured, for example, by the more than 20 original manuscripts published throughout the duration of the project. Of note, these manuscripts were published in top Journals of the field (eg. Nat Med, Cancer Cell, Blood,…) and had high impact in the scientific community. Similarly, the results obtained throughout the duration of the project were presented in more than 20 oral abstracts in the prestigious American Society of Hematology (ASH) and European Hematology Association (EHA) meetings. Such dissemination was made alongside the execution of other specific aims of the project; thus, we envision more scientific production in the upcoming years and, most importantly, of significant contribution to the society. Among the results achieved so far, it could be highlighted the first-ever genetic characterization of circulating tumor cells and minimal residual disease clones, as well as the first-ever integration of minimal residual disease and immune monitoring to predict patients’ outcome. These achievements advanced our knowledge of the disease, and fostered many scientific groups around the world to investigate in these research areas. Of note, the outcomes of this project were paramount in the definition of new response criteria in multiple myeloma, and we believe are about to foster new staging models for patients with smouldering and active multiple myeloma based on the assessment of circulating tumour cells.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The advent of novel single-cell technologies has been progressively incorporated to execute some objectives of the project. This will increase the quality of data generated in this project and is of paramount importance to deliver, for example, a detailed characterization of patients’ immune cells. In accordance to the successful execution of the project during this period, we expect the following results at the end project: i) the signature of circulating tumour cells and ultra-chemoresistant minimal residual disease cells, ii) the hierarchical place of putative cancer stem cells and new insights in myelomagenesis, iii) the genomic landscape of benign vs. malignant clones; and iv) the role of immune surveillance to achieve functional cures.

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