IWMF has committed to the biggest package of research since its inception. Our vision—A world without WM—is finally within reach as summarized by Dr. Steven Treon, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, “Once we do a better job at shutting down the signaling of that mutated MYD88 gene, we will find that cure.” He goes on to say, “At the end of the day, do I believe there is a cure in sight for WM? Absolutely.”
In pursuit of this vision, the IWMF Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the twelve principal investigators of eleven research awards for a total of USD 3,157,500 in 2024. These grants, approved and recommended by the IWMF Research Committee, have been awarded to proposals with the greatest potential for advancing the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia.
The IWMF 2024 grant recipients are listed below by category along with the amount awarded in each category:
Strategic Research Roadmap Grants (USD 480,000 total): to promote and support basic research leading to improved understanding of the cause, diagnosis, treatment, and cure for WM
- Dr. Aldo M. Roccaro, ASST-Spedali Civili di Brescia, “Dissecting the Tumor Microenvironment in Waldenström Macroglobulinemia”
Enhanced Roadmap Grant (USD 1,500,000 total): larger funding for a grant proposal that requires more effort, time, or resources than the two-year Strategic Research Roadmap Grants
- Dr. Zachary Hunter, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Dr. Patrizia Mondello, Mayo Clinic-Rochester, “Uncovering the Molecular Underpinning of WM from Tumor Cells to Immune Microenvironment”
Seed Money Initiative (USD 90,000 each; USD 270,000 total): one-year awards to encourage innovative, novel ideas and bring new scientists to the WM field
- Dr. Erna Magnúsdóttir, The University of Iceland, “Self-Organizing Stem Cell-Derived Bone Marrow Organoid System for Studying the Tumor Microenvironment in Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia”
- Dr. Jennifer Kimberly Lue, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, “The Application of a Dual IRAK4 and IMiD Substrate Degrader, KT-413, in Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia”
- Dr. Maria Luisa Guerrera, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, “Investigating the Role of CD34+ Cells in the Pathogenesis of Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia”
Robert A. Kyle Career Development Awards (USD 157,500 each; USD 787,500 total): two-year awards to foster a new generation of talented WM researchers
- Dr. Tina Bagratuni, National and Kapodistrian Univerity of Athens, “Tracking the Evolution of Ibrutinib Resistant Proteome in WM”
- Dr. Filip Garbicz, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, “Dissecting Cancer Cell-Intrinsic and Microenvironmental Roles of MYD88 Mutations and Chromosome 6q Deletion in Waldenström Macroglobulinemia”
- Dr. Cristina Jiménez, University Hospital of Salamanca/Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), “Deciphering Tumor Heterogeneity in Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia through the Genomic and Immune Profiling”
- Dr. Yoshinobu Konishi, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, “Spatial Immune Profiling to Define Biomarkers for Disease Progression in Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia”
- Dr. David F. Moreno, Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona – IDIBAPS, “Single Cell Subclonal Characterization and Evolution of the Genome and Transcriptome in IgM Monoclonal Gammopathy”
Companion Grant (USD 120,000 total): supports a WM basic research project within an ongoing clinical trial to further scientific knowledge of the cause, cure, and treatment of WM
- Dr. Christian Buske, Universitatsklinikum Ulm, “Deciphering the Dynamics of the Mutational Landscape in Patients with Waldenström`s Macroglobulinemia Treated with Targeted Therapy in Prospective Clinical Trials of the European Consortium for Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia”
Check back for more information on this research and the progress being made toward a cure. We live in an amazing time when scientific progress is exponentially tackling cancer. With your help, IMWF will continue to invest in the WM research that will lead us to a cure.
IWMF congratulates each of our 2024 research grant recipients!