Role of flow cytometry and especially its use in the definition of the measurable residual disease (MRD) in multiple myeloma
Funding Cycle:
2021-2022Name:
Laura NotarfranchiType of Award:
Career Development AwardHome Institution:
University of Parma, ItalyHost Institution:
University of Navarra, SpainDescription
This project aims to develop a clinically useful method for monitoring treatment response in multiple myeloma (MM) by detecting circulating tumor cells in peripheral blood (PB) using next-generation flow cytometry. The proposed approach, called BLOOD-FLOW, involves optimizing immunomagnetic enrichment of circulating plasma cells from large PB volumes, achieving a limit of detection two logs more sensitive than current methods. Specific objectives include developing an efficient enrichment protocol and validating its sensitivity and specificity in PB samples from 50 MM patients post-treatment, comparing its performance to bone marrow minimal residual disease assessment.
