What happens when a global community rallies behind a rare disease? Discovery. Acceleration. Hope turned into hard data. We haven’t done it alone. These breakthroughs are the result of strategic partnerships—with top researchers, world-class institutions, and other mission-aligned funders. But again and again, it's IWMF support that helps unlock the next step forward.
Every breakthrough below was made possible by people who believe in curing WM.
MYD88 L265P Mutation: IWMF funding led to the discovery of the MYD88 L265P mutation—laying the groundwork for BTK inhibitor therapies like ibrutinib.
CXCR4 Mutation: IWMF-backed research uncovered CXCR4 mutations, tied to disease spread and resistance—opening new paths for targeted treatment.
WM Tissue & Sample Bank: Through grants like the David & Janet Bingham Research Partners Fund, IWMF helped launch a major tissue bank collecting patient samples across disease stages—fueling large-scale studies and accelerating discoveries.
Gene and Protein Mapping: IWMF funded one of the first in-depth studies to analyze both the genes and proteins that drive WM. By mapping how the disease works with both, the research revealed new drug targets that gene tests alone would have missed.
WM Mouse Model: Support from IWMF helped create a mouse model carrying the MYD88 mutation—allowing researchers to test treatments in a living system.
T-cells: IWMF-supported research identified a T-cell receptor that specifically recognizes a peptide derived from the mutant MYD88 protein—a hallmark of WM. This finding could lead to engineered immune therapies—like custom T-cells designed to hunt down and destroy WM.
HCK Kinase: A Drug Target: IWMF-funded studies pinpointed HCK, a MYD88-activated kinase, as a promising drug target now being pursued with a new approach to drug development called chemoproteomics. The Treon team at Dana-Farber Institute, is developing a HCK degrader that uses the body’s own cellular disposal system.
WM Clinical Trials Network: In partnership with Dana-Farber Institute, IWMF committed $2.5 million to establish WM-NET across 22 US academic institutions. WM-NET aims to streamline trial design, broaden patient access, and move new treatments from labs to lives.
Accelerate the Cure is how we go further, faster—fueling the next generation of WM breakthroughs, together. Join us!