# Repurposing Metformin for the Prevention of Disease Progression in Precursor Multiple Myeloma

> **NIH NIH K22** · DANA-FARBER CANCER INST · 2020 · $192,240

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
This Career Transition Award will position the candidate to achieve her career goal of becoming a successful
independent investigator in multiple myeloma (MM) prevention. The candidate's current program of research is
focused on elucidating the impact of energy balance factors on MM risk and survival. The research proposed in
this K22 will focus on monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering MM
(SMM), which are premalignant conditions that progress to MM in a subset of patients for reasons that are
poorly understood. Evidence-based strategies are unavailable for preventing the progression of MGUS/SMM to
MM, underscoring the importance of research in this area. A promising pharmacologic intervention to reduce
the risk of progression of MGUS/SMM to MM is metformin, an inexpensive, safe, and widely-available drug
with demonstrated anti-myeloma properties in laboratory and epidemiologic studies. The study hypothesis is
that metformin use will be associated with: (1) a significant reduction in clinical symptoms of disease
progression, and (2) altered expression of bone marrow niche cells implicated in the malignant transformation
of MGUS/SMM to overt MM. To test these hypotheses, we will conduct a 6-month, double-blind placebo-
controlled trial enrolling 86 MGUS/SMM patients who currently have no available strategies for cancer risk
reduction. The research outlined in this proposal is expected to contribute to a paradigm change in the clinical
follow-up of MGUS and SMM, from a watch and wait approach, to a paradigm focused on the prevention and
interception of disease progression. The training plan that complements this research will provide the
candidate with the depth and breadth of expertise needed to translate etiologic and epidemiologic discoveries
into efficacious interventions for MM and precursor MM patients. Specifically, the training is designed to
provide advanced knowledge of precursor MM biology, single-cell sequencing approaches, and intervention
research in cancer prevention in preparation for an independent career of research focused on the prevention
of MM. Together, the innovative research and strategic training activities will promote the career development
of the candidate.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10039293
- **Project number:** 1K22CA251648-01
- **Recipient organization:** DANA-FARBER CANCER INST
- **Principal Investigator:** Catherine Marinac
- **Activity code:** K22 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $192,240
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10039293

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10039293, Repurposing Metformin for the Prevention of Disease Progression in Precursor Multiple Myeloma (1K22CA251648-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10039293. Licensed CC0.

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