Multiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable bone marrow cancer and is increasing in our ageing population.

Despite a new class of highly specific “drugs” called monoclonal antibodies (MAb) being extremely successful in the treatment of blood cancers like lymphoma, useful therapeutic MAb have not been produced for the treatment of MM.

We are using proteomic methods to discover new molecules on the surface of MM cells. These new proteins will form the targets for the production of MAb which may either interfere with MM cell growth, or harness the body’s natural defences to attack the MM cells, as has been successful in other lymphoma therapy.

Results

We have discovered several candidate molecules.