The KCA program has enhanced capacity in patient care through the development of the telomere length assay which will enable patients with short telomere syndromes to more safely receive their treatment. Pioneering work of KCA researchers in the field of telomere maintenance has led to the clinical development of a short telomere diagnostic which is now being used to identify children whose DNA damaging therapy should be reduced. The telomere length assay has been available for clinical patients at risk of short telomere syndromes have been tested. Bone marrow transplant has been standard of care for children with the telomere deficient cancer predisposition syndrome, dyskeratosis congenita.
KCA researchers have also completed a large-scale study of telomere length in children having bone marrow transplant and correlated this with their side-effect profile. This work has progressed from basic to applied research and now is poised to have an impact across all children having a bone marrow transplant.
Started: 1 July 2016
Ending: 30 June 2017
