Seeking longer life for multiple myeloma patients

Melissa’s grant is co-funded by Cure Cancer, Cancer Australia Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme and Leukaemia Foundation.

Melissa is based at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.

Multiple myeloma is a deadly blood cancer annually diagnosed in 140,000 people worldwide – and in about 2,000 in Australia. It is preceded by a pre-cancerous condition known as smouldering myeloma, in which patients have no debilitating bone problems or other symptoms typical of the fully developed disease.

“We know that, every year, one in ten smouldering myeloma patients will develop multiple myeloma, but at this time there are no diagnostic tests to identify who will do so,” says Dr Melissa Cantley, a scientist at The University of Adelaide’s Myeloma Research Laboratory.

Her research

Assisted by her two-year Cure Cancer grant, Melissa hopes to identify biomarkers in the blood of patients with smouldering myeloma who are at high risk of developing the fully active disease – to enable them to receive early treatment that helps them live longer.

The disease is currently incurable, with patients usually only starting treatment when they show signs of organ and bone damage and other symptoms. Only 50% of them will survive for five years after diagnosis.

“There is now evidence to suggest that treatment during the pre-cancerous stage improves patient survival, but determining who’ll benefit from treatment is difficult because the rate of progression varies so greatly,” says Melissa. “Some patients will remain stable for an extended period, while others will progress rapidly, within two years of diagnosis, and would benefit from immediate treatment.”

Melissa and colleagues will use a state-of-the-art technique known as proteomics to identify protein markers in blood that are uniquely present in high-risk smouldering myeloma patients. Many of these individuals may find this knowledge valuable, and would prefer knowing to adopting a “watch and wait” approach, currently the standard of care for all smouldering myeloma patients, she says. And preventing patients from actually going on to develop cancerous myeloma may provide answers that will ultimately enable scientists to cure it.

In support of this aim, Melissa works with a team of successful, motived scientists and clinicians who perform high-quality medical research with access to state-of-the-art equipment and an extensive biobank of patient samples.

Melissa’s inspiration

Having completed her PhD in 2013 at The University of Adelaide, she has focused much of her research to date on targeting bone cells to reduce the bone loss that occurs in a number of diseases including periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Her interest in myeloma stemmed from the fact that up to 80% of patients who have it develop bone disease, involving many of the same features and cell types. When she started work in the myeloma field she was astounded to learn that myeloma patients are only treated when they show signs of organ damage, which in many cases can be irreversible.

“It’s really opened my eyes to the impact of research and how it directly affects people’s lives, and it drives me to look for the big discoveries I know will have a direct impact on patients and their families. We regularly host visits by multiple myeloma patients and their carers to our lab; having the opportunity to talk with them and their loved ones is such a strong reminder of why we do what we do.”

The importance of funding

She has already established an excellent reputation in her field, having been selected as one of 15 young researchers to represent Australia at the 64th Nobel Laureate Meeting in Lindau, Germany, in 2014. “This was an inspiring and impactful experience, which has helped shape the scientist I am today,” she says.

Melissa is honoured to receive a Cure Cancer grant, considers it a huge accomplishment and says she is passionate and excited about her project.

Her advice to other researchers: ask the big questions, and take on as many new experiences and opportunities as you can. “You never know what door it might open or the new skills you may learn.”

"Talking with patients and their loved ones is such a strong reminder of why we do what we do"

Together, we can cure cancer.

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