The MMORE for Multiple Myeloma Research Fund was established by the efforts of Multiple Myeloma Opportunities for Research & Education (MMORE) – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation dedicated to raising awareness and raising funds through fun and inspiring community events.
MMORE’s mission is to support multiple myeloma research to discover new life-prolonging treatments, improve quality of life for myeloma patients, and ultimately to find a cure for all multiple myeloma patients.
MMore recently announced that they have reached their initial $1 MILLION goal to support multiple myeloma research at Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. But the work is not done... Every donation, big and small, comes together to support our mission of finding a cure for multiple myeloma.
Learn more about MMORE and how you can help support their activities on their website www.mmore.org . 
From Left: MMORE Board Members pictured are Pete Rothermel, Nancy Kaufmann-Fink, Sarah Kaufmann-Fink, Steve Fink, Susan Jacobs, Paul Perry and Cheryl Boyce.
CelebrateMMORE Gala for Multiple Myeloma Research
The 2013 CelebrateMMORE Gala for Multiple Myeloma Research was a multiple record-breaking event! This 6th annual Gala, held on February 9, 2013 at the Hilton at Easton, welcomed a Gala-record 640 guests! And, thanks to the generosity of the enthusiastic attendees, sponsors, and supporters, MMORE will donate a Gala-record $200,000 to the MMORE for Multiple Myeloma Research Fund at Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute!
Nancy Kaufmann and Steve Fink established the fund when their daughter, Sarah, was diagnosed with
multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. Fortunately, Sarah responded well to her treatment and is currently in remission. But remission is not a cure, and there is a high rate of recurrence. The good news is that research is advancing treatments rapidly and there are exciting research possibilities. Just since 2005, survival rates have been revised from 2-4 years to 4-10 years. The next generation of treatments is in development, but funding is desperately needed to move those treatments through the research stage and make them available to patients.
Other Events that Support the MMORE Fund!
Charity Casino Night
April 20, 2013 at The Ohio State University Faculty Club
The Ohio State University Faculty Club is opening to the public with a Casino Night fundraiser to support MMORE, including casino games, prizes and more. Click here to view the invitation.
MoveMMORE Run/Walk for Multiple Myeloma Research
June 1, 2013 at Wolfe Park in Columbus, OH.
This family-friendly event in a beautiful setting brings together the community to support multiple myeloma research at the OSUCCC-James. Registration will open February, 2013 at www.mmore.org and 1-888-486-4240.
MMORE Fund at Work
The multiple myeloma team at the OSUCCC-James has made incredible advances in multiple myeloma research through the efforts of MMORE and donations to the MMORE Fund, including:
- MMORE dollars were spent to research ways to change the interaction between natural killer cells and myeloma cells, focusing on a novel antibody to help stimulate the body’s immune system to attack myeloma cells.
- MMORE funds purchased the cytokine bead array system to analyze multiple signaling pathways in a tumor cell or immune cell at once, rather than one at a time as with older technology. This new technology allows us to see the “forest” rather than individual “trees” (e.g., see the effect of a drug on the entire cell and learn both how the drug works as well as how potential resistance is acquired to the treatment).
- MMORE dollars helped developed three new strategies to enhance the immune system’s ability to recognize and kill multiple myeloma cells. This information has been used to provide preliminary data needed to fund a larger research effort.
- MMORE dollars helped develop resources here at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and at collaborating organizations that target and kill myeloma cells. This area of research is in its infancy, but Ohio State has shown its ability to push this type of research onward. AR-42 was originally synthesized in the College of Pharmacy and after years of testing, was administered in a first-in-man study in June 2010 to patients with relapsed myeloma, lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
- MMORE dollars are funding a myeloma data coordinator for three years to track all myeloma patients diagnosed at The Ohio State University, Additionally, through an IRB-approved collaboration with the Ohio Department of Health, this data registry will include all myeloma patients living in the state of Ohio to track myeloma patient treatments, survival and patient-reported outcomes. The data coordinator will encourage patients to participate in studies that freeze blood and bone marrow for future laboratory experiments as well as clinical trials studying potentially more effective drugs with fewer side effects.
- MMORE-funded research at OSUCCC-James has been published in scientific peer-reviewed publications.
- MMORE has funded 12 current laboratory research projects, including a study of myelomagenesis—how myeloma starts in the first place.
- Seed money from MMORE has allowed researchers at OSUCCC-James to move research through the beginning phases of promising discoveries and become highly eligible for millions of dollars in funding from other sources.
