Multiple myeloma is the second most common blood cancer and remains essentially incurable. Chemotherapy is effective at reducing tumour and extends survival, but it never fully eradicates disease, so patients face inevitable relapse. To find a cure for myeloma, new treatments that can target minimal residual disease (MRD) are needed.
One reason myeloma is difficult to treat, is that as myeloma tumours grow in the bone marrow some cancer cells become dormant when in contact with bone. While dormant and not cycling, they are resistant to most conventional chemotherapeutics.
Our team has exciting new data that a novel anti-cancer therapy can kill dormant myeloma cells. Our next goal is to identify the mechanism through which these drugs kill dormant myeloma cells to identify drug combinations that enhance killing of dormant myeloma cells.
This project will (1) identify vulnerabilities of dormant myeloma cells and (2) determine how to exploit vulnerabilities therapeutically. We will use cutting-edge in vivo models of myeloma dormancy and chemotherapy-resistant relapse, alongside 2D and 3D co-culture and models of dormancy to discover mechanisms and test therapeutics.
The project will be performed in the Cancer and Bone Lab, led by Dr Alanna Green (Department of Oncology & Metabolism).
Entry Requirements:
Candidates must have a first or upper second class honors degree or significant research experience.
How to apply:
Please complete a University Postgraduate Research Application form available here: www.shef.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/apply
Please clearly state the prospective main supervisor (Dr Green) in the respective box and select ‘Oncology & Metabolism’ as the department.
Enquiries:
Interested candidates should in the first instance contact Dr Alanna Green ([Email Address Removed])
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