# Investigating CD56 signaling in multiple myeloma growth and immune escape

> **NIH NIH K08** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $253,208

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Francesca Cottini, MD, is a Tenure-eligible Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology,
Department of Internal Medicine (70% research, 30% clinical) at The Ohio State University Comprehensive
Cancer Center. Dr. Cottini’s career goal is to become an independent and productive physician scientist whose
research will combine aspects of multiple myeloma (MM) pathogenesis and tumor immunology to develop
tailored therapies for MM patients.
 MM is an incurable disease that affects vulnerable adults causing high healthcare costs and poor quality
of life. No tailored therapies exist to treat patients with MM, despite major differences in terms of genetic
abnormalities, gene expression profiles, or immune signatures. To fill this gap, Dr. Cottini has identified a surface
marker, named CD56, which is present in 70 percent of patients and is associated with poor prognosis. Thus
far, Dr. Cottini has demonstrated the feasibility of her project with strong preliminary data, showing that CD56
promotes MM growth and tumor escape from the immune system. The main objective of Dr. Cottini’s K08
proposal is to characterize the mechanisms associated with CD56 protumoral phenotype in terms of: 1. MM
growth; 2. resistance to anti-MM therapies; 3. regulation of oxidative stress; and 4. escape from natural killer
(NK) cell-mediated cytotoxicity. The final step of Dr. Cottini’s proposal is to find strategies to promote CD56
degradation in MM and induce tumor regression. This knowledge will lead to science-driven clinical trials and
improve outcomes in high-risk CD56 positive MM patients.
 To support her pathway to independence, Dr. Cottini has established a mentoring committee consisting
of: Drs. Don Benson MD, PhD (Primary Mentor: expertise in MM biology, tumor immunology, and translational
and clinical science), Yiping Yang MD, PhD (co-Mentor: expertise in tumor immunology, grant writing, and
leadership skills), Bei Liu, PhD (Advisory Committee Member: expertise in MM murine animal models), and
Natarajan Muthusamy, DVM, PhD (Advisory Committee Member: expertise in signaling and translational
science). She will also take advantages of two additional collaborators, with experience in genomics (Dr. Pearlly
Yan) and drug development (Dr. Gerard Hilinski). She formulated a career development plan with objectives of
(1) learning skills in tumor immunology, drug development, and animal models; (2) developing knowledge in the
analysis and interpretation of genomic data and design of correlatives for clinical trials; (3) improving expertise
in leadership, grant writing, and team management. These objectives will complement Dr. Cottini’s current
knowledge to help achieving independence as a physician scientist in the field of MM. To conclude, Dr. Cottini’s
studies have the potential to identify therapeutic options based on disease characteristics and hence improve
outcomes and reduce toxicities in patients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10449807
- **Project number:** 1K08CA263476-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Francesca Cottini
- **Activity code:** K08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $253,208
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-09 → 2027-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10449807

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10449807, Investigating CD56 signaling in multiple myeloma growth and immune escape (1K08CA263476-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10449807. Licensed CC0.

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