Research

Although many patients are diagnosed with earlier phases (also known as "precursor conditions") of blood cancers, in most cases, there are no effective, disease-modifying therapies available. This means that most patients do not receive treatment until their cancer progresses.

Precursor hematologic conditions include early cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia called monoclonal B cell lymphocytosis (MBL); early cases of multiple myeloma or Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia called monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering multiple myeloma; and early cases of myelodysplastic syndrome and myeloproliferative disorders.

In order to understand why some patients with these precursor conditions go on to develop progressive disease, while others do not show progression — and to develop better targeted therapeutic agents to prevent progression, or even eliminate the disease before it leads to symptoms — the Center for Prevention of Progression of Blood Cancers (CPOP) has been created.

Although the last decade has seen the development of effective target therapies for patients with blood cancers, their clinical use has been hampered by drug resistance, clonal evolution, and disease progression — all of which limit the extent and duration of patients' response.

Of note, most blood cancers — including multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and acute myeloid leukemia — are preceded by clonal disease states that then progress into disease. However, the genomic, genetic, and epigenetic factors governing the process of progression and therapeutic resistance have not been systematically characterized.

The Center for Prevention of Progression research initiative is focused on understanding the progression and clonal evolution of blood cancers, with an ultimate aim to develop targeted therapeutic agents that can eliminate the early clones of disease.

Leadership

Robert Soiffer, MD
Irene Ghobrial, MD
Benjamin Ebert, MD, PhD

Research Partners

Jennifer Brown Lab
Benjamin Ebert Lab
Gad Getz Lab
Irene Ghobrial Lab
Catherine Marinac, PhD
Timothy Rebbeck, PhD

Research Staff

Hira Shrestha, MA, Senior Clinical Research Program Manager
Brian Sheehan, Assistant Clinical Research Manager
Meredith Bertoni, MPH, Clinical Research Coordinator II
Elizabeth Murphy, Clinical Research Coordinator II
Dechen Choden, Clinical Research Coordinator I
Sophie Magidson, Clinical Research Coordinator I
Erica Horowitz, Research Project Manager
Maya Davis, Research Project Manager
Lilly Riseberg, Clinical Research Coordinator I
Jackie Perry, MPH, Data Manager
Vidhi Patel, Research Data Specialist

Clinical Team

Hematology/Oncology

Myeloma Precursor Specialists

Irene Ghobrial, MD, MGUS, SMM
Omar Nadeem, MD, MGUS, SMM
Betsy O'Donnell, MD, MGUS, SMM
Adam Sperling, MD, PhD, MGUS, SMM

Leukemia Precursor Specialists

Daniel DeAngelo, MD, PhD, low-risk MDS
Lachelle D. Weeks, MD, PhD, ICUS, CHIP, CCUS, low-risk MDS

Lymphoma Precursor Specialists

Virginia Volpe, MD, MBL

Genetic Risk and Prevention

Judy Garber, MD, MPH
Huma Rana, MD

Cardiology

Peter Libby, MD

Nephrology

Shruti Gupta, MD
Umut Selamet, MD

Neurology

Christopher Doughty, MD