On May 18 the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) announced plans to collaborate with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard on a genetic analysis of multiple myeloma tumors. The MMRF, which is the financial sponsor of the project, will provide the patient samples for genomic sequencing of individual patient tumors. The data collected during the study will later be made available for the public domain.

"Through our work together on this critical pilot project in whole cancer genome sequencing, we hope not only to advance clinical progress for multiple myeloma, but to build knowledge and technical capabilities that can be applied to many other human cancers,” said Dr. Eric S. Lander, Director of the Broad Institute.

This recent collaboration is not the first partnership between the organizations. In 2007 the MMRF, along with the Broad Institute and the Translational Genomics Research Institute, established the Multiple Myeloma Genomics Initiative, a comprehensive genome-mapping program that strives to identity new targets for multiple myeloma.

"As part of that larger effort, we are confident that this groundbreaking research will accelerate the development of next-generation treatments to extend the lives of multiple myeloma patients. Additionally, we believe that this work will not only ultimately pave the way to a cure for patients with multiple myeloma, but will benefit patients with other types of cancer,” said Kathy Giusti, Founder and CEO of the MMRF.

For more information on this collaboration, read the press release at the Broad Institute Web site.