PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute unveils groundbreaking blood test for multiple myeloma

2025-08-08
(Press-News.org)

Boston, MA — Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have developed a blood test that could transform the diagnosis and monitoring of multiple myeloma (MM) and its precursor conditions. The new method, known as SWIFT-seq, utilizes single-cell sequencing to profile circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood, offering a non-invasive alternative to traditional bone marrow biopsies.

The study was published in Nature Cancer.

“A lot of work has gone into the identification of genomic and transcriptomic features that predict worse outcome in MM, but we are still lacking the tests to measure them in our patients, said senior author, Dr. Irene M. Ghobrial. “As a clinician, this is the type of next-generation test that I would want to order for my patients.”

Multiple myeloma is a challenging bone marrow cancer, often preceded by conditions such as Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS) and Smoldering Multiple Myeloma (SMM). Traditionally, bone marrow biopsies have been used to assess risk and monitor genetic changes in these conditions. However, these biopsies are painful, infrequent, and the accompanying technique, Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), often fails to provide clear results, leading to less effective risk assessment and influencing treatment decisions. 

 “It would be amazing if we had a blood-based test that can outperform FISH and that works in the majority of patients – we think SWIFT-seq may just be that test,” said Dr. Romanos Sklavenitis-Pistofidis, co-first author.

SWIFT-seq offers an innovative alternative by allowing doctors to perform risk assessments and genetic monitoring using a simple blood test, making the process much easier and more reliable. Beyond counting CTCs, SWIFT-seq provides a detailed genetic profile, identifying key genetic changes crucial for understanding the disease. This method surpasses the accuracy of bone marrow tests like FISH. Additionally, SWIFT-seq evaluates tumor growth rates and identifies important gene patterns that can predict patient outcomes, all from a single blood sample. 

“SWIFT-seq is a powerful option as it can measure the number of CTCs, characterize the genomic alterations of the tumor, estimate the tumor’s proliferative capacity and measure prognostically useful gene signatures in a single test and from a blood sample,” said Ghobrial.

The study involved 101 patients and healthy donors, demonstrating that SWIFT-seq successfully captured CTCs in 90% of patients with MGUS, SMM, and MM. Notably, it identified CTCs in 95% of patients with SMM and 94% of patients with newly diagnosed MM, the groups most likely to benefit from improved risk stratification and genomic surveillance. SWIFT-seq's ability to enumerate CTCs based on the tumor's molecular barcode, rather than relying on cell surface markers, sets it apart from existing methods like flow cytometry.

SWIFT-seq not only measures multiple clinically relevant features directly from a blood sample but also provides novel insights into the biology of tumor cell circulation. 

“We identified a gene signature that we believe captures the tumor’s circulatory capacity and may partly explain some of the unexplained mysteries of myeloma biology,” said Dr. Elizabeth D. Lightbody, co-first author. “This can have a tremendous impact in how we think about curtailing tumor spread in patients with myeloma and could lead to the development of new drugs for patients.”

The introduction of SWIFT-seq marks a significant advancement in myeloma diagnostics, offering a minimally invasive method to obtain multiple layers of clinically useful information from a single blood test. This breakthrough could lead to improved patient outcomes and a deeper understanding of myeloma biology.


About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute  

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world’s leading centers of cancer research and treatment. Dana-Farber’s mission is to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement and advocacy. Dana-Farber is a federally designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.  

Dana-Farber is the only hospital nationwide with a top 3 U.S. News & World Report Best Cancer Hospital ranking in both adult and pediatric care. 

As a global leader in oncology, Dana-Farber is dedicated to a unique and equal balance between cancer research and care, translating the results of discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the world, offering more than 1,100 clinical trials. 


Media Contact:
Nicole Oliverio, nicole_oliverio@dfci.harvard.edu

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Public data reveal extent of air quality impacts during 2025 Los Angeles wildfires

2025-08-08
In early 2025, wildfires spread in Los Angeles, destroying tens of thousands of homes and businesses. During the fires, smoke blanketed the region and online maps provided residents with rapid air quality information. Now, a study in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters compares the data that went into the maps from federal monitoring stations, low-cost sensors and satellites. Their results highlight the importance of combining multiple data sources to form easily accessible information for the public. “Timely and accurate air quality information is crucial for the public to ...

Towards better earthquake risk assessment with machine learning

2025-08-08
“A building is only as strong as its foundation” is a common adage to signify the importance of having a stable and solid base to build upon. The type and design of foundation are important for ensuring the structural safety of a building. Among several factors that can affect the design and laying of a foundation, bearing stratum depth, namely the depth at which the underlying layer of soil or rock has adequate strength to support a foundation, is one of the most crucial. This is because in regions that are prone to earthquakes or landslides, the bearing stratum depth, also ...

Reducing the global burden of liver cancer: Recommendations from The Lancet commission

2025-08-08
Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer as well as the third highest cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. In particular, a subtype of liver cancer known as hepatocellular carcinoma accounts for around 80% of all liver cancer cases. Given the increasing disease burden of hepatocellular carcinoma globally, a Commission consisting of experts in a wide range of fields – from clinical medicine to public health – has now been established to tackle this issue. Recently, in a comprehensive ...

Researchers succeed in building a low temperature hydrogen fuel cell, thanks to a scandium superhighway

2025-08-08
Fukuoka, Japan—As global energy demand increases, researchers, industries, governments, and stakeholders are working together to develop new ways of meeting that demand. This is especially important as we address the ongoing climate crisis and transition away from fossil fuels. One very promising type of energy generation is solid-oxide fuel cells, or SOFCs. Unlike batteries, which release stored chemical energy as electricity, fuel cells convert chemical fuel directly into electricity and continue to do so as long as fuel is provided. A common ...

New UC Irvine survey reveals shifting work landscape

2025-08-08
The University of California, Irvine School of Social Ecology today released the results of its latest UCI-OC Poll, shedding light on the changing nature of work in Orange County two years after the official end of the COVID-19 pandemic.   Conducted from June 20 to July 1, 2025, the survey of 800 Orange County adults offers insights into remote work preferences, attitudes toward artificial intelligence and overall job satisfaction – providing valuable insights for business leaders and policymakers navigating ...

Quantum ‘Starry Night’: Physicists capture elusive instability and exotic vortices

2025-08-08
Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” has stirred the souls of art lovers for over a century. Now, its swirling skies may also speak to physicists, as it echoes the patterns of quantum turbulence. Physicists at Osaka Metropolitan University and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have for the first time successfully observed the quantum Kelvin–Helmholtz instability (KHI) — a phenomenon predicted decades ago but never before seen in quantum fluids. The instability produces exotic vortex patterns known as eccentric fractional skyrmions, whose crescent-shaped structures ...

Excessive ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) and poor nutrition tied to poor health

2025-08-08
Science Advisory Highlights: Most ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) are characterized by poor nutritional quality, contributing to excessive calories, and are typically high in saturated fats, added sugars and sodium (salt), the combination of which is often abbreviated as HFSS, which contribute to adverse cardiometabolic health outcomes, including heart attack, stroke, obesity, inflammation, Type 2 diabetes and vascular complications. Observational studies have found links between eating higher amounts of UPFs and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, chronic illness and mortality. Emerging evidence also suggests certain additives and industrial processing techniques ...

'One child called the robot "my little brother"': Can assistance tech become part of the family?

2025-08-08
What happens to a social robot after it retires?  Four years ago, we placed a small owl-shaped reading robot named Luka into 20 families’ homes. At the time, the children were preschoolers, just learning to read. Luka’s job was clear: scan the pages of physical picture books and read them aloud, helping children build early literacy skills.  That was in 2021. In 2025, we went back — not expecting to find much. The children had grown. The reading level was no longer age-appropriate. Surely, Luka’s work was done.  Instead, ...

Small but mighty: A biomimetic idea takes flight

2025-08-08
When Singapore celebrated its 50th  year of independence in 2015, a team of student researchers led by Associate Professor Foong Shaohui from Singapore University Technology and Design (SUTD) embarked on an ambitious challenge: to design and build a drone capable of 50 minutes of sustained flight. At the time, most hobbyist quadcopters could barely manage half of that. The SG50 Multi-Rotor Drone project succeeded, but to fly that long, the craft had to be large, complex, and heavy.   A decade on, Assoc Prof Foong has reached new heights in his drone research—this time by going small and pursuing a completely different ...

New hydrogel-based treatment accelerates infected wound healing and balances skin microbiota

2025-08-08
A novel ε-poly-L-lysine-loaded sodium-alginate/gelatin hydrogel (PSG15) has shown exceptional promise in accelerating the healing of infected wounds. This multifunctional injectable hydrogel delivers robust antibacterial properties while regulating macrophage polarization and stabilizing the skin microbiota. It significantly inhibited bacterial growth, including that of E. coli and S. aureus, and promoted tissue regeneration in infected wounds. In animal models, PSG15 enhanced angiogenesis, collagen deposition, and wound closure. These findings demonstrate the ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Wildfire collaborative responds to community concerns about air quality

Dual-function organic molecule may advance display technologies and medical imaging

North Atlantic faces more hurricane clusters as climate warms

How immune cells switch into attack mode

Changes in cardiovascular risk factors and health care expenditures among patients prescribed semaglutide

Prescription drug utilization and spending by race, ethnicity, payer, health condition, and US state

Mobile phone app reduced suicidal behavior among high-risk patients

SNU researchers develop wearable blood pressure monitor that attaches like a bandage for real-time continuous measurement

How a rare cycad's wax crystals conjure blue without pigment

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute unveils groundbreaking blood test for multiple myeloma

Public data reveal extent of air quality impacts during 2025 Los Angeles wildfires

Towards better earthquake risk assessment with machine learning

Reducing the global burden of liver cancer: Recommendations from The Lancet commission

Researchers succeed in building a low temperature hydrogen fuel cell, thanks to a scandium superhighway

New UC Irvine survey reveals shifting work landscape

Quantum ‘Starry Night’: Physicists capture elusive instability and exotic vortices

Excessive ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) and poor nutrition tied to poor health

'One child called the robot "my little brother"': Can assistance tech become part of the family?

Small but mighty: A biomimetic idea takes flight

New hydrogel-based treatment accelerates infected wound healing and balances skin microbiota

New bioactive dressing promises faster diabetic wound healing

Japan launches fully domestically produced quantum computer

Home is where the airfields are: What happens when hawks are moved from Los Angeles airports

Study: Sylvester researchers uncover molecular drivers of cellular differentiation

Withdrawal of kidney treatment significantly benefits patients and NHS

Illinois Tech hosts EV Readiness Community Awards, showcasing nation-leading energy innovation

Rice bioscientist wins NSF CAREER Award to investigate bacterial toxins, expand inclusion in STEM

Study links exercise with decreased mortality and cardiovascular events in people recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes but no previous cardiovascular disease

Genetic testing reduces risks from chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancer patients

UVic research predicts worldwide glacier erosion

[Press-News.org] Dana-Farber Cancer Institute unveils groundbreaking blood test for multiple myeloma