The IWMF Board of Trustees has approved $1,728,000 in new research support, including the following two new research projects from the IWMF-Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Strategic Research Roadmap initiative:
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Drs. Steven Treon and Zachary Hunter, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA: “Transcriptional Characterization of Untreated Patients with Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia” ($400,000) |
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Dr. Sherine Elsawa, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH: “Epigenetic Regulation of WM Biology” ($400,000) |
The Research Roadmap is the direct result of a conference held in May 2015 that identified four research priority areas focused on advancing our understanding of WM. Dr. Lee Greenberger, Chief Scientific Officer of LLS, moderated the conference, and the Scientific Co-Chairs were Dr. Steven Treon of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Dr. Stephen Ansell of Mayo Clinic. You can find more information about the IWMF-LLS Strategic Research Roadmap and its importance to the WM community at research strategy.
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In addition to the Strategic Research Roadmap projects, the IWMF Board of Trustees approved a proposal to extend and enhance research efforts into MYD88 signaling, and into ibrutinib resistance by Dr. Stephen Treon of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA: (“Targeting MYD88 Signaling in Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia”). This project is funded at $500,000 over two years. It is anticipated that Dr. Treon’s research will lead to the identification of additional novel agents that can lead to better treatment protocols for WM, and ultimately, a cure for the disease. |
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Funding was also approved to extend and enhance the research into factors regulating immunoglobulin-producing B-cells by Dr. Stephen Ansell of Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA: (“Factors Regulating Immunoglobulin-Producing B-Cells in Patients with Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia”). Funding for this project is $428,000 over two years. It is anticipated that Dr. Ansell’s research will not only enhance our understanding of the immune mechanisms driving WM but could positively impact the treatment of other hematological malignancies as well. |
IWMF President Carl Harrington said, “This $1.7 million in new funding further exemplifies the IWMF’s continued commitment to basic research on Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia. It brings our total research spending to nearly $14 million in our search for a cure for Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia. We wish to thank our individual donors, the LLS, and the volunteers serving on the IWMF Scientific Advisory Committee and Research Committee who have made these grants possible. And we thank the global researchers who are dedicated to finding better treatments and a cure for our orphan disease.”
The commitment of $1,728,000 over two years towards these groundbreaking research initiatives was made possible by donations from IWMF patients, caregivers, and their friends and families. The IWMF remains committed to ensuring that 100% of all research donations go directly to fund research initiatives!