It was recently discovered that multiple myeloma cells harbor shuffled, rearranged genes. This may lead to changes in gene function and the development of the disease. We are studying one such gene, MMSET. We believe that the MMSET gene makes a protein that in turn represses other genes in the cell. An overabundance of MMSET in myeloma cells may lead to an abnormal shutdown of target genes and disease development. We will use biochemical techniques to prove this hypothesis. We will also try to lower MMSET levels within myeloma cells to determine if MMSET might represent a new therapeutic target.