The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has announced that it will collaborate with the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation on a pilot project designed to systematically uncover the molecular changes underlying multiple myeloma by whole genome sequencing of individual patient tumors. MMRF will provide both funding and patient samples for analysis, and the resulting data from the project will be put into the public domain.

According to Broad Institute director Eric S. Lander, the institute and MMRF hope not only to advance clinical progress for multiple myeloma through the collaboration, but also to build knowledge and technical capabilities that can be applied to other human cancers. While creating comprehensive catalogs of all commonly occurring cancer mutations to understand major tumor types is a current approach of several national and international consortia, only a handful of whole cancer genomes have been sequenced to date and only one has been published.

Three years ago MMRF partnered with the Broad Institute and the Translational Genomics Research Institute to launch the Multiple Myeloma Genomics Initiative (MMGI), a comprehensive genome mapping program designed to identity new targets and therapies for the incurable disease.

"As part of [MMGI], we are confident that this groundbreaking research will accelerate the development of next-generation treatments to extend the lives of multiple myeloma patients," said MMRF founder and CEO Kathy Giusti, who also is a multiple myeloma patient. "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."