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Even during challenging times for cancer research funding, IWMF brings together the brightest minds from around the world. By supporting grants at 32 academic research labs across the globe, IWMF empowers researchers to work toward a shared goal: transforming WM from an incurable cancer into a disease we can fully eradicate.
One of this summer’s new grants supports Dr. Constantine Mitsiades at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. His lab is using CRISPR, the Nobel Prize-winning gene-editing tool, to hunt WM’s hidden weaknesses. CRISPR works like molecular scissors, cutting DNA at precise locations to turn genes off. By running “gene screens” across thousands of WM cells, Dr. Mitsiades can reveal which genes the cancer depends on—and then target those genes with drugs to shut WM down.
With the “gene screen”, researchers test all these cells in parallel. It’s like looking at a giant grid or spreadsheet of results. They watch to see which cells die, stop dividing, or become more sensitive to treatment. If turning off a gene causes the cancer cell to crash, that gene is likely a critical dependency—and a potential drug target.
Dr. Mitsiades has done this before in multiple myeloma, where his work shaped clinical trials. Now, he is applying this proven strategy to WM. By mapping cancer’s control switches, his team is creating a first-ever blueprint for new therapies.
This is your investment at work. Every dollar from private donors powers research like this—and accelerates the cure.
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