Scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in collaboration with the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) and several institutions across the United States, have created what they describe as the largest single-cell immune cell atlas of bone marrow in multiple myeloma patients. The research findings were published in Nature Cancer.
The study examined almost 1.5 million immune cells from the bone marrow of 335 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients, utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing technology. This method enabled researchers to analyze molecular features at an individual cell level, uncovering new details about how the immune system functions in patients with this blood cancer.
George Mulligan, PhD, co-senior author and Chief Scientific Officer at MMRF, commented on the collaborative nature of the project: "The scale and maturity of the MMRF's CoMMpass study and the breadth of this multi-center collaboration highlights the importance of creating 'big science' teams."
Researchers identified that certain patients who experienced early relapse after initial therapy had distinct immune cell populations present at diagnosis. Specifically, a subset of T cells was found to be in a state called immunosenescence—meaning these cells were present but not working effectively—which contributed to suppression of immune responses. The team also observed patterns suggesting communication between immune and cancer cells may help support tumor growth.
According to investigators, these findings indicate that monitoring a patient’s immune response could complement genetic testing as a way to predict relapse risk. Although current methods are primarily for research purposes, scientists hope future development will lead to more accessible tests for clinical use.
"This work not only provides new biological insights, but also lays the groundwork for future discoveries," said Dr. Gnjatic. "It could help researchers around the world better understand how the immune system interacts with cancer and ultimately, help improve outcomes for patients."
The research was designed and funded by MMRF with contributions from Mount Sinai, Emory University, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Washington University in St. Louis's Siteman Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, and MMRF itself. Edgar Gonzalez-Kozlova, PhD (Mount Sinai), served as co-first author alongside other data analysts from participating institutions; Seunghee Kim-Schulze led data generation efforts at Mount Sinai; Hearn J. Cho is both a myeloma oncologist/researcher at Mount Sinai and Chief Medical Officer at MMRF.
With its large sample size and detailed clinical records gathered over 12 years through MMRF’s biorepository efforts, this resource is expected to make significant contributions toward understanding immune function in multiple myeloma.
