Multiple myeloma is a cancer which develops in the bone marrow. Despite some effective new therapies, it remains difficult to treat and five-year survival rates are poor. Novel treatment strategies are therefore critically needed. One possible approach – which has been successful for other cancers – is to use cells of the body’s immune system (called T cells) to kill the cancer.

In order to do this, we must first understand how the special environment of this particular cancer – the bone marrow – impacts T cells. 

For example, in multiple myeloma, the bone marrow has altered levels of oxygen, nutrients and metabolic waste products, which may impair T cell metabolism. In recent years we have discovered that optimal immune cell metabolic fitness is crucial to their anti-cancer function.

My research assesses the metabolism of bone marrow T cells from patients across the spectrum of multiple myeloma and compares this to healthy individuals. It also investigates precisely how other components of the bone marrow affect T cell metabolism. Based on these findings, I want to design T cells that have the ideal metabolic fitness to survive in the bone marrow, and importantly kill cancer cells.