Jill Zitzewitz | The IMF at ASH 2021

We’re Here for You!

Dec 13, 2021 | Jill Zitzewitz

Day 3 of ASH was another whirlwind of talks, and even for this scientist, all the details were beginning to blur together. I heard talks that ranged in focus (1) from understanding the molecular basis of disease; (2) to delineating the role of precursor conditions in myeloma progression; (3) to developing the best diagnostic approaches to track disease; (4) to analyzing clinical trial outcomes in order to measure therapy effectiveness. Throughout the day, I found myself noticing a common theme...

It’s All About Antibodies and Your Amazing Bone Marrow

Dec 12, 2021 | Jill Zitzewitz

Today was another great day at ASH21, and antibodies (of course) took center stage in my choice of talks to attend. Darzalex® (daratumumab), again, showed impressive results, this time in the ADROMENA trial for light-chain (AL) amyloidosis — a protein misfolding disease that can also occur in ~15% of multiple myeloma patients. These phase III trial results that were presented by Dr. Raymond Comenzo, MD, showed that the addition of Darzalex to Velcade/Cytoxin/dexamethasone (VCd) induction...

The Amazing Power of Proteins (and RNAs too)

Dec 11, 2021 | Jill Zitzewitz

In my scientific career as a protein scientist studying protein misfolding, I’ve always been a little protein-centric in my view of biology. It’s a bit ironic because I work at an academic institution that is an RNA mecca, where many of my colleagues are doing amazing research understanding the role of RNAs in biology. Simplistically, proteins do all the work in the cell. DNA gets all the glory, but RNA is the master regulator controlling the fate...

Pre-ASH Blog: From Academic to Advocate

Dec 6, 2021 | Jill Zitzewitz

My prior identity as a scientist often flows uneasily with my new identity as a multiple myeloma patient advocate. In my career as a scientist in academic medicine, I’ve attended many national and international meetings where I’ve presented my research on protein misfolding. I’ve always loved the excitement of new ideas and the connections between scientists at meetings working toward a common goal. Five years ago, I attended an RNA biology meeting in San Diego and had trouble...