Spring 2026
By Hannah White Hannah
For more than two decades, the International Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation (IWMF) has been a vital philanthropic partner to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, accelerating research into Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia (WM), a rare, slow-growing blood cancer. Recently, the IWMF took a significant step in combating WM, awarding more than $1.4 million in grants to three Dana-Farber investigators. The funding will support groundbreaking studies that can lead to better understanding of disease biology, overcoming treatment resistance, and providing more personalized, effective therapies for people living with WM.
Dana-Farber’s Steven Treon, MD, PhD, is one grant recipient that stands to benefit from the IWMF’s support. Treon’s team previously helped uncover a key genetic change found in most people with Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia. That work paved the way for ibrutinib, a drug that has transformed care for many patients. As some cancers learn to evade ibrutinib, Treon’s new IWMF-funded project focuses on eliminating those escape routes, delivering options for patients who stop responding to ibrutinib, with a goal of accelerating the most promising therapies to clinical trials.
These grants highlight the [our] deep commitment to driving progress and turning advances in genetics and cell research into tangible treatment options.
Paul Kitchen, Chairman of the Board
Constantine Mitsiades, MD, PhD, received an IWMF grant to decode the “control room” inside WM cells—the proteins that turn genes on and off. These transcription factor teams tell cancer cells when to grow, survive, and resist treatment. Mitsiades will chart these networks in depth and test what happens when key switches are turned off. By pinpointing these switches, his team hopes to guide safer, smarter drug combinations that are more effective and less toxic than traditional chemotherapy—helping doctors provide the right therapy to their patients.
Additionally, Dana-Farber investigator Hao Sun, MD, PhD, received an IWMF grant to study how different “branches” of WM change over time during ibrutinib treatment and how the body’s immune system shifts in response. In an upcoming clinical trial, his team will track how the cancer and immune system adapt to each other—revealing why treatment may lose effectiveness over time. These insights could help doctors detect resistance sooner and develop therapies that keep the disease under control longer. “These grants highlight the International Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation’s deep commitment to driving progress and turning advances in genetics and cell research into tangible treatment options,” said Delora Senft, IWMF president and CEO. “We are honored to support Dana-Farber’s innovative research as we work together to develop more effective, personalized therapies for patients and their families.