Singapore Scientists Identify New Biomarker For Bone Marrow Cancer

SINGAPORE, Dec 13 (Bernama) -- Singapore scientists have identified FAIM, a molecule that typically prevents cell death, as a potential biomarker to identify multiple myeloma, an incurable form of cancer in the bone marrow. Patients with this form of cancer usually do not get cured with current standard treatments such as chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation and have an average survival rate of only about four years. FAIM (Fas apoptosis inhibitory molecule) could thus be a therapeutic target in these patients, as drugs developed to target the molecule could destroy multiple myeloma cells and hence eradicate the cancer. Multiple myeloma is an incurable cancer, which arises due to an uncontrollable accumulation of antibody-producing plasma cells in the bone marrow. This collaborative research was conducted by scientists at A*STAR’s Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI) led by Prof Lam Kong-Peng and clinician-scientists at National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS) and the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at the National University of Singapore. The research findings were published in Leukemia Journal on Dec 5, 2012. An estimated 80 new cases of multiple myeloma are diagnosed in Singapore every year. Unfortunately, most people who develop the cancer have no clear identifiable risk factors. Prof Lam said, “This study adds onto previous studies in the institute demonstrating the utility of FAIM not only in biotechnology but now potentially in the clinic. "And now as a potential prognostic biomarker in the clinic for a deadly human disease such as multiple myeloma. This is really a translation from bench-to-bioreactor and bench-to-bedside," he added. -- BERNAMA