Myeloma Research Laboratory

Research Leader: Associate Professor Andrew Zannettino

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable haematological cancer of the antibodyproducing plasma cell (PC). The frequency of this disease is estimated to be five to six new cases per 100,000 persons per year. MM is unique amongs haematological malignancies in its capacity to cause massive destruction of the skeleton. The focal osteolytic lesions result in a range of debilitating clinical symptoms including bone pain, pathological fractures, spinal cord compression, hypercalcemia and renal failure.

The Myeloma Research group's efforts centre on identifying the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for myeloma disease progression.

Research Priorities:

• Determining the role played by hypoxia in MM disease progression
• Identifying novel bone marrow microenvironmental factors that may contribute to MM disease progression
• Identifying novel agents to inhibit osteoclast-mediated bone loss and/or stimulate osteoblast-mediated bone formation
• Identifying novel signalling pathways with roles in mesenchymal stem cell differentiation which may be manipulated to increase bone formation in MM patients
• Examining the skeletal and metabolic effects of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) compounds
• Developing aptamers (nucleic acid-based antibody-like molecules) directed against candidate molecules with roles in MM disease progression