Current Issues: BIG NEWS FROM THE MMRF

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

BIG NEWS FROM THE MMRF

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation announced this press release today: "The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) today is announcing a transformation taking place in how future cures will be found in multiple myeloma—and how the new MMRF is paving the way in putting speed in the system by bringing Precision Medicine to myeloma patients. Headlining the event, that was held today at the Alexandria Center for Life Sciences Building in New York City, was the launch of two first-of-its-kind open access gateways – one for researchers and one for patients – that will facilitate data sharing and accelerate drug development and cancer research. The MMRF Researcher Gateway will upload comprehensive genomic data as it becomes available and make it accessible to all scientists, with the goal of speeding up the development of precision therapies and ultimately advancing cures. The MMRF CoMMunity Gateway will aggregate sub-types of myeloma patients and steer them to treatments and trials that are specific to their needs." copy/paste this link for entire press release: http://www.themmrf.org/about-the-mmrf/powerful-news/press-releases/launch-revolution-in-precisionmedicine.html

Welcome!

Some blood cancer facts:

* Every four minutes, someone in the United States learns that they have a blood cancer.

* Every ten minutes, a child or adult dies from a blood cancer. This statistic represents nearly 148 people each day, or more than six people every hour.

* Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma will cause the deaths of an estimated 54,020 people in the United States this year.

* An estimated 137,260 people in the United States will be diagnosed with Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma this year.

*Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and young adults under the age of 20. In general, the likelihood of dying from most types of leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma decreased from 1998 to 2007 (the most recent data available).

(Information statistics from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society 2010-2011)

NEWS FROM MY STATE OF MINNESOTA:

In Minnesota we have what is called the ‘Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics’ with the U of MN and the Mayo Clinic, which is such a wonderful thing for our State! Their website mentions: "The Partnership has once again earned the support of the legislature when it received the most recent installment in research support of $15 million in the 2006 legislative session. The Partnership has requested $70 million over a five year period and has so far received $32 million of that funding request."

According to the 'Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics' newsletter, "In 2007, the Partnership awarded $7.5 million in state-funded support to four new research teams and one infrastructure support project in the third round of reserach since 2003. It has also awarded $1 million to one of the first research teams to take discoveries toward commercialization." Also in 2007, the Minnesota legislature has approved $25 million in biennial funding for the Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics and committed $8 million for each of the following two years.

Watch my blog for more recent updates.