ROCHESTER Minn. -- A team of Mayo Clinic Cancer Center scientists has been awarded a Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant in multiple myeloma from the National Cancer Institute. The Mayo Clinic Cancer Center is one of only three cancer centers to receive a SPORE grant for multiple myeloma cancer research.
MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Video and audio are available for download on the Mayo Clinic News Network.
"With project leaders from Mayo campuses in Arizona, Rochester and Florida, our SPORE team will study the genetic basis for myeloma, develop novel viral and immunologic therapies, and optimize the use of existing therapies with a goal of controlling and eventually curing this deadly disease," says Leif Bergsagel, M.D., lead investigator. "Starting from the pioneering work of Robert Kyle, M.D., over the last half-century, the myeloma group at Mayo Clinic is one of the strongest in the world."
Renowned journalist and Mayo Clinic Trustee Tom Brokaw will serve as a patient advocate to the SPORE to represent the interests of patients with multiple myeloma and increase awareness of, and support for, myeloma research.
Multiple myeloma, a disease of bone marrow antibody secreting cells, is a devastating cancer that affects more than 20,000 new patients every year in the United States. While recent improvements in treatment have resulted in a more favorable outlook for patients, five-year survival rates remain low.
###
About Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
As a leading institution funded by the National Cancer Institute, the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center conducts basic, clinical and population science research, translating discoveries into improved methods for prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. For information on cancer clinical trials, call 1-855-776-0015 (toll-free).
About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to medical research and education, and providing expert, whole-person care to everyone who needs healing. For more information, visit http://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic or http://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/.