Multiple Myeloma Genome Sequenced, Reveals New Therapeutic Targets

The mammothundertaking of sequencing the entire genomic multiple myeloma from tissue samples taken from 38 patients has shed light on the molecular mechanisms involved in this disease. It has also revealed some surprising potential therapeutic targets for which there are drugs already available that can be tested. The study, published in the March 24 issue of Nature , unveiled many different pathways involved in the disease, some of which were unknown previously. "A project of this scale would have been unimaginable a few years ago," said study coauthor Todd Golub, MD, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts. He emphasized the importance of sequencing the genome from many different patients, instead of just 1 patient, to obtain a complete picture, because some mutations are not found in everypatient. The project has been "very informative," Dr. Golub noted."We can now see with greater clarity and greater precision howmolecular pathways are involved," he said, joking that the study has transformed what was previously a "transistor radio view" of the disease to a"high-definition television view." Dr. Golub was one of the speakers at a press briefing organized by the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), which funded the projectto the tune of $12 million. MMRF spearheaded the project by organizing the collection of tissue samples and liaising between the various clinical sitesand basic research laboratories that were involved. Surprising Discovery One of the surprising discoverieswas that BRAF mutations are involved in multiple myeloma, but only in about 4% of patients."No one had been thinking of BRAF as a driver or a therapeutic target in multiple myeloma, but this suggests a new hypothesis, and it would be reasonable now to test BRAF inhibitors," Dr. Golub said. Such compounds are already available — in fact, a BRAF inhibitor has shown significant clinical activity in melanoma, he added. This compound, PLX0432 (developed by Plexxikon/Roche), showed, in an early clinical trial in patients with melanoma and BRAF mutation, responses in "a remarkable 81% of patients," and was hailed as a "major breakthrough" when these results were published last year ( N Engl J Med . 2010:363:809-819),as reported previously by Medscape Medical News .

Via http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/739650

Geraldine Ferraro succumbs to multiple myeloma at age 75

Geraldine A. Ferraro , the first woman to run on a major party national ticket, has died, her family said Saturday. She was 75 years old. She passed away at Massachusetts General Hospital due to complications from multiple myeloma, a blood cancer she had dealt with for 12 years. A 1960 graduate of Fordham LawSchool, Ferraro was elected to the U.S. House of Representativesin 1978. She was subsequently named as the vice presidential candidate to Walter Mondale's 1984 ticket. In her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, Ferraro said, "The daughter of an immigrant from Italy has been chosen to run for vice president in the new land my father came to love." Following the Mondale-Ferraro ticket loss to Reagan-Bush 41% to 59% of the popular vote, Ferraro had two failed runs for the U.S. Senate. She was always marred slightly by rumors of tiesto organized crime, which she contended was an ethnic slur due to her being Italian-American. Ferraro went on to support Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 2008 presidential election, but did say when Sarah Palin was put on the McCain ticket that"every time a woman runs, women win." Ferraro is survived by her spouseJohn Zaccaro and her children Donna, 48, John Jr., 46 and Laura,44.
Via http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2011/03/geraldine-ferraro-succumbs-to-multiple-myeloma-at-age-75.html