Sæmundur Rögnvaldsson, a research specialist at the UI Faculty of Medicine, was recently awarded a grant of just over ISK 60 million from the World Cancer Research Fund for a study looking at how nutrition and body weight are linked to multiple myeloma precursor conditions and the likelihood of them developing into multiple myeloma.
Multiple myeloma is an incurable bone marrow cancer that develops from precursor conditions over a number of years. The cause of these precursor conditions, and what leads to their development into active malignancy, is not yet understood. Sæmundur and his colleagues at the iStopMM project, led by Professor Sigurður Yngvi Kristinsson, plan to explore the links between lifestyle factors and the likelihood of developing multiple myeloma precursors and of these developing into active disease.
Scientists are always looking for the causes of cancer to help promote effective prevention and this study is part of those efforts.
“We are exploring whether things like diet or body weight could affect the way the disease develops,” says Sæmundur. “Our goal is to identify lifestyle factors that could be changed, empowering affected individuals to influence their prognosis and improve their quality of life.”
Sæmundur explains that this grant has makes a big difference for the team behind the project. The importance of funding for quality high-impact research cannot be overstated. Every year, around 20 to 25 people are diagnosed with multiple myeloma in Iceland and around 200,000 across the world.
“This grant is also a big honor for me and the whole team and it acknowledges the importance of our research question.”
Cancer is one of the most significant challenges facing humankind
One of the most significant challenges of our times is the fight against complex and life-threatening diseases, including cancer. Cancer is an umbrella term for around 200 different diseases, each of which is divided into many subcategories. Multiple myeloma is one of these diseases. All cancers start when cells in a certain area of the body begin to multiply uncontrollably and disrupt normal functions. In the case of multiple myeloma, the antibody producing cells in the bone marrow, the plasma cells, are the cells that become cancerous.
UI has been home to multiple myeloma research for many years, under the project iStopMM, led by Sigurður Yngvi and funded by major grants from the International Myeloma Foundation, the Rannís Icelandic Research Fund, the EU, and other parties. The aim of the project is to explore whether it is possible to prevent multiple myeloma by screening for precursor conditions and intervening early. Sæmundur has been involved in iStopMM from its inception and remains part of the team. This latest study is, in fact, a part of the wider project.
Sæmundur Rögnvaldsson completed a degree in medicine from UI in 2017, but his research career began in 2016 when he started his PhD. His PhD project, completed under the supervision of Sigurður Yngvi, was part of iStopMM and Sæmundur has been working on the study ever since. He is particularly focused on researching the origins and development of multiple myeloma precursors. Alongside his academic research, Sæmundur also works as a clinical doctor and teacher at the Faculty of Medicine. In these fields, he strives to integrate clinical practice and research and places a high value on practical benefits and the synergistic effect of using and creating new knowledge at the same time.