Local Swim Team Funding Important Cancer Research
The Ashland Barracudas made a big splash — AGAIN!
This year’s swim marathon raised more than $16,000 for our bone marrow transplant program and pediatric cancer research! Every stroke. Every splash brought us closer to better treatments for kids fighting cancer.
Thanks to all the money raised by Ashland Barracuda Swim Marathons, Connor’s Heroes can support Dr. Elizabeth Krieger’s research at CHoR. Recently she made a big discovery that will improve the treatment of children with high-risk leukemia needing a bone marrow transplant. Dr. Krieger shared her exciting news in an impact report shared below. We expect another important breakthrough in the next phase of her research. Stay tuned!
Dr. Elizabeth Krieger’s Research Update: Enhancing Telomere Length Measurement for Improved
Outcomes in Pediatric Cancer and Transplant Research
For many children with high-risk leukemia, a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant offers the best chance for a cure. After transplant, the donor’s immune cells help eliminate any remaining cancer cells. However, these same cells can sometimes attack the child’s healthy tissues, causing a serious complication called graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The challenge is finding the immune system’s “Goldilocks zone”, an immune response that is strong enough to prevent leukemia from returning and fight infections, but not so strong that it harms the patient.
Thanks to donor and community support, including Connor’s Heroes, Dr. Krieger’s research has made a major step forward in improving how she measures telomeres – the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that play an important role in cell health and recovery after transplant.
What Was Accomplished
Dr. Krieger and her team successfully developed a new method called Nano-STELA that makes telomere testing much faster, simpler, and more affordable than previous approaches. Traditional methods require complex laboratory procedures and can be difficult to scale for clinical use. Dr. Krieger and her team’s new process dramatically streamlines sample preparation while preserving the accuracy and detail needed for patient care and research.
Why This Matters
A key breakthrough of Nano-STELA is its ability to measure individual telomeres, rather than providing only an average estimate. This gives researchers a much clearer picture of cellular health and can reveal important differences that may be missed by conventional testing methods.
More precise telomere measurements could help clinicians better understand disease risk, monitor treatment responses, and make more informed decisions for children undergoing cancer treatments or cellular therapies. The ability to track telomere changes over time may also provide valuable insights into recovery and long-term health outcomes following transplantation.
Looking Ahead
The first phase developed a breakthrough way to accurately measure telomeres from patient samples. The next phase applies that technology to children undergoing bone marrow transplants to understand how immune recovery affects survival and complications, with the goal of creating bette monitoring tools and more personalized care.
Your support has helped transform Dr. Krieger’s promising scientific concept into a practical, scalable technology with the potential to improve care for pediatric patients now and in the future. It has also led to national recognition at this year’s transplant conference, awarding Dr. Krieger best clinical abstract for this project.
At the award ceremony, The Hess Family presented their highest honor, the Jamie Hess Sportsmanship Award, to swimmers Naami and Parker. This award is in memory of their son Jamie, a Barracuda who passed away from leukemia in 2002. Thank you Barracudas for honoring Jamie’s legacy and for continuing to support Connor’s Heroes year after year!