Tony Reiman planned to be in Edmonton for only two years. He came to the University of Alberta in 1999 for oncology training after doing his residency in internal medicine at Dalhousie University in Halifax. Dr. Reiman and his wife found that they enjoyed Edmonton and decided to stay.

As a medical oncologist at the Cross Cancer Institute, Dr. Reiman specializes in treating patients with multiple myeloma, lymphoma, and lung cancer. These are all deadly cancers, and the diagnosis for many of his patients is often discouraging. “I strive to give my patients the best treatments there are,” says Dr. Reiman, “but the reality is that, for some cancers, even the best treatments available are not good enough. I can’t imagine devoting my life to treating patients without trying to improve things. I want to be part of the process that makes things better.”

This commitment drives Dr. Reiman’s research. His particular interest is multiple myeloma, an incurable cancer of the plasma cells. These cells—important parts of the immune system—normally make up a very small portion of the cells in the bone marrow, where they are made. However, myeloma plasma cells grow unchecked, invading the hard outer part of the bone and forming multiple small lesions throughout the body. The disease damages the immune system and is also characterized by osteoporosis in the pelvis, spine, ribs, and skull. The average life expectancy for someone with multiple myeloma is three to four years after diagnosis.

In Canada, there are about 1,850 new cases of multiple myeloma annually. The Cross Cancer Institute sees 50 to 70 new multiple myeloma patients every year.

“Patients are crucial to my research,” explains Dr. Reiman. “Most of them agree to participate in trials where we take extra blood or extra bone-marrow samples, and carefully review their history. The goal is to look at proteins and see if we can distinguish one that is specific to the disease, which could make it a good therapeutic target. If we could knock it out, that might stop the cancer without affecting the patient’s general health.”

One promising target is a protein called RHAMM (receptor for hyaluronan-mediated motility). Elevated levels of RHAMM appear to correlate with aggressive disease. A team from the Cross Cancer Institute—including Dr. Reiman, Dr. Linda Pilarski, and Dr. Andrew Belch—investigates the relationship between RHAMM and abnormalities in the centrosome, a specialized region of cells that plays a key role in cell division. RHAMM may affect the structure of the centrosome, causing genetic instability.

“RHAMM is a starting point for me to figure out what drives the biology of multiple myeloma, what distinguishes it from normal tissue,” says Dr. Reiman. “In the end, it may be a protein other than RHAMM that is the key. My goal is to frame the research so that we can use the knowledge we gain in a way that helps patients.”

Dr. Tony Reiman is a medical oncologist at the Cross Cancer Institute and an assistant professor in the Department of Oncology at the University of Alberta. An AHFMR Clinical Investigator, he is also supported by CIHR (Canadian Institutes of Health Research), the National Cancer Institute of Canada, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and the Alberta Cancer Board.