UNFOLDING THE MYSTERIES OF GENETIC SCIENCES IN INCURABLE DISEASES LIKE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASES, CANCER, & RAREST OF THE RARE DISEASES LIKE MOYAMOYA, SLE, TAKAYASU ETC.

Consequenses of my researcH

Although, I was born in Assam, India and spent my school days including studies in medical sciences in Assam,  but I have completed my higher education including FRCS and majority of my medical career was spent abroad. I did not have any attraction to return India. Only attraction I had, was edible medicinal plants  of north-eastern India.

In 1970, when I was in Assam Medical College, I thought of applied human genetic engineering, which could be used for curing the incurable diseases and isolated biological molecules from edible medicinal plants, which can only be used as tools. My concept was that incurable diseases of human are of biological nature and treatment with synthetic devices or synthetic molecules will never work. Keeping this concept in my mind, I contacted then prime minister , late smt. Indira Gandhi, who gave me an appointment for meeting on 19th April, 1984 at 11.00am at her office. I came with my family, met her and I had a 45 minutes discussion and Mr.Gopi Arora was present during the meeting, who was the special secretary to her. I insisted upon to start a laboratory for manufacturing artificial heart valves in Assam. She declined to accept my proposal and said, “ You should not do this type of high-tech activities in Assam as strategically not feasible.  I will arrange for you to do it in Mumbai” and immediately, she called Mr.P.R.Late for meeting, who was Director General of Technical Development and ordered both of them to provide me all the facilities including the finance. However, she had written a personal letter to then Chief Minister Shri Hiteswar Saikia, who I did not know and arranged a personal meeting with him on 26th April, 1984. She invited me and my family to have a breakfast at her official residence at 8.00am. During our breakfast, she tried to impress on me that do not do anything in Assam. You will land into a problem. I carried the letter to Chief Minister  Shri Hiteswar Saikia. I met him in Janata Bhawan at 11.30am, where then Health Minister Shri Bhumidhar Barman was also present. I handed over the proposal of establishing heart valve manufacturing laboratory and open heart surgical unit in Assam. He called immediately Mr. Kamaleswar Bora, then Secretary of Ministry of Health and my proposal was handed over to him. Chief Minister asked Mr Bora to process it immediately. On his assurance, I stayed for three months in Guwahati to start an open heart surgical unit. However, some of the doctors ganged up and threw me out. Leader of the gang was Mr.Kamaleswar Bora and Dr.Ramdutta BujarBaruah. I left Assam and on way, I stopped in New Delhi and briefed Mrs.Gandhi again. She only said one thing, “This is the beginning of your troubles. However, so long I am alive and continuing as prime minister, I will see that you are established in North-eastern region.” But whole thing became collapsed as she was killed in the same year. I went back to UK.

 I was hired by Government of Abudhabi to start an open heart surgery hospital, which I did. I went there on 5th October,1985 and 11th November, I performed first open heart surgery in UAE and it was a big news for that country. The government assisted me financially for my research on artificial heart valves, which helped me to design and develop Baruah artificial heart valves. With their assistance, I used these newly invented Baruah Heart valves in seven countries. My heart valves were  the first one on this planet which are  constructed anatomically to achieve physiological performance with durability of 92 years. I develop both stented and stentless heart valves and I was the first one to develop mechanical heart valves made of Zirconium, which was supplied from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. I was the first one to set up an artificial heart valve manufacturing unit in Mumbai in 1988.  Since then I design and developed number of new artificial heart valves of different design and type. In 1994, I design and implanted a totally permanent implantable biological heart-Baruah heart 21. I set up an open heart surgery and genetic laboratory in Sonapur, Assam, where I performed first open heart surgery in entire north-east on 31st January, 1996.

1st January, 1997, I performed first xenotransplantation using pig’s heart-lung-kidney and recipient was 32years old end stage organ failure patient who had ventricular septal defect with bacterial vegetation. Taking prior consent of the nearest relatives, I had performed this xenotransplantation using pig heart-lung-kidney on January 1st, 1997. Human organ transplantation act, 1994 was not reinforced in Assam and I had taken all legal and scientific precautions carefully and closely. Only thing was not done was no consent was taken from the donor pig. Patient survived for 7 days and he died of staphelococcal septicemia. Patient had this infection before operation with vegetation, but it was controlled with antibiotics. However, it had been flared up after transplantation which did not respond to antibiotics.

On the 9th day of the operation, that was on 9th January, 1997, I was taken to police station saying that there will be discussion with other doctors and finally arrested me with my HongKong based colleague, Dr.Jonathan Ho and perfusionist, Mr. James. Dr.Ho was a senior cardiac surgeon in Prince of Wales Hospital. It was like a Indian movie, 70 policemen came to arrest me as if I was most wanted terrorist. I was accused for violation of human organ transplantation act, 1994, whereas I have used animal organs. Human organ transplantation act was not applicable in Assam at that time and not to speak of act on xenotransplantation.  To my knowledge, act on xenotransplantation cannot be made now and in future as the donor is an animal.  I was produced in court. Government, to justify that they were right to arrest me, used to give number of news against me as I could not speak at that time. I was kept in inhuman condition for 40 days. Government could not substantiate the charges and released me on bail after 40 days. My passport was taken away and kept me under house arrest for 18 months.

Assamese people and  the government did not stop harassing and they planned to finish me off as they thought that I will continue my research, for which on 15th June, 1997 at 2.00am they had burnt my hospital campus where my experimental monkeys died and somehow, my staff could save their lives  very tragedically. 

Fortunately, I was sleeping at the hill top at that night which they did not know. My 15million worth of equipment burnt with my experimental animal models.

Fifteen days later of this incidence, Indian army raided my hospital campus on instruction of chief minister on accusation that I am harboring terrorist ULFA., but fortunately army commandant knew that it was totally injustice done to me and he gave me clean chit. One month later, same army people raided my hospital campus and at that time also, army gave me a clean chit. My all employees left, stolen my imported equipment and surgical instruments. I was left with my scientist, Dr.S.A.Achrekar & assistant, Ms.Dalimi Baruah and four dogs- Robert, Lucy, Brownie & Blacky. I was kept alive by them. There was a severe financial constraint and there was not a single person who enquired whether we were surviving or not. Even we were unable to drink water from our own well, even it was made dirty by the local people. We had a severe constraint for food stuff, but we survived by eating vegetables grown in jungles, the same food was consumed by my animals as well. These conditions did not deter me to carry our my  research on applied human genetic engineering for which I was looking as tools  and I got it through medicinal plants of north eastern region. I even could not go out, as I went out, people used to throw broken glasses and half dead snakes at me and used fowl language. Before, I started my research on this project, I went to 42 assamese families, but no one even gave me a single rupee for this project and eventually, I borrowed Rs.3.00lakhs from Kabuliwalla and Beekay Scientific corporation, Panbazar helped me to supply chemicals for research.

All these incidences led to a great setback in my personal life. When I was in jail, Dr.Jonathan Ho’s son and wife visited him and they stayed in Guwahati till we were release on bail and was taken to Hong Kong. Unfortunately, no one from my family, wife or children visited me during this period, they were angry and blamed me for coming back to India, Assam to start my research work. I totally agreed with them. On 13th September, 1997, I received a letter from my wife stating that she is officially separated from me, which I accepted. I believe that every synthetic drug has side effect and similarly, this  is the side effect of my research.   My three children have successfully qualified in their own discipline of sciences and settled in Glasgow, Dundee & Edinburgh resp. After releasing my passport, I visited them.I continued my research in genetic sciences rather than thinking of them. I took the incidence coolly as if I have changed my dirty shirt to a clean one and today I am successful  in research of applied human genetic engineering with no regrets  of past. My genes do not allow me to bow down at any situation which are considered to be deterrent.

The new government formed in Assam by the congress party, whom I used to support since many years. I was thrilled  and was under the impression  that at least civilized party has formed the government, whereas government who put me in jail was totally uncivilized and barbarians. All the ministers of the present congress government are known to me and I thought they will not interfere in my research work, rather they will assist me. but I found a contradiction when the present health minister has sent a written order to stop my research on applied human genetic engineering. The order was signed by drug controller who is under ministry of health and same drug controller had passed an order to start and continue my research few years ago. I studied genes of 52 volunteers age between 13-16 to find out what type of disease they will be having and its time of expression. My idea of this research program was to eradicate heart disease and cancer. By seeing this program on television and newspapers, my professional colleagues had insecured feelings of their existence and wrongly fed the health minister who had passed the order and signed by drug controller.

I found entire action was too barbaric and I felt that it was worst than Galileo’s time. I filed a petition in Guwahati high court against this order and immediately within three days, Hon’ble justice Shri B.K.Sarma had passed the order to continue my research and further stated that there was gross violation of principles of natural justice in stopping e to carry out my research activities in my institute. Because of judgement, given on 28th April,2008, by Hon’ble Justice B.K.Sarma, one of my lung cancer patient, who has been cured with my applied human genetic engineering had gone to climb Mount Everest. Justice B.K.Sarma is not a scientist, I thank him on behalf of all the patients  suffering from incurable diseases and those who are going to be cured with my applied human genetic engineering. In contradiction, my genes curse  the present health minister who tried to stop barbarically  my research and said in front of news camera that if I continue my research, he will arrest me immediately. I said further, nature will give him justice . With anger, I studied total genomic sequences of 200 assamese people of all the communities and have found that entire assamese community will be extinct in 10 years time and they will be endangered species. Among all the communities, I found Ahom and Brahmin community will be extinct because of their unacceptable frequencies of signal transduction triggering mistaken mutations  of the genes responsible for heart and cancer. The mutations are all active and not silent.

By observing, the injustice done to me by assamese community  with hostile attitude  since last 12 years, I can never forgive and forget them.

I like my animals more than human as I learn from them through experimentation and apply this knowledge in human to protect them from dreaded diseases.

They sacrifice their lives and I learnt from them, which I apply on human race. Therefore, I justify why I hate assamese people and human race at large!  

I curse last Chief Minister and health minister and my genes speak- nature will give justice to me, they were absolutely barbarians on this planet. Similarly, nature will also bring justice to present congress government Chief Minister and health minister. My cancer and heart patients were uncomfortable and shaky when health minister declared that he will arrest me and close down my Research institute if I continue my research on applied human genetic engineering. One of my 26 years old leukemia patient who was recovering nicely, was frightened and left my clinic suddenly as he thought if  I am going to be arrested, what he will do? He left immediately and went somewhere for some other treatment leaving my treatment half way, he died miserably after 6 months. I was badly hurt, so did his family. Health minister has to pay for this sin. Nature is the best  judge and no one can overrule or overpower the court of nature.

I had selected 250 edible medicinal plants, out of which I used 13 edible medicinal plants, which were tested in albino pigs. I selected two versatile plants, which were found to be effective for demutation of the genes.

 I approached IITand Guwahati University where so called Head of the certain departments denied the technical assistance for isolation of the compounds from medicinal plants.

I went To North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) and asked for assistance from Vice Chancellor Dr.Miri, who forwarded me helping hand. Head of RSIC, Prof.Myrboh provided me organic chemistry laboratory facility with his technical assistance along with two research scholars, who assisted me to isolate the compounds from medicinal plants of north-eastern region . I was deeply impressed with Dr.Myrboh’s assistance, who never interfered with my work.

It was very difficult to get human volunteers to test the efficacy and safety of the compounds, so first myself became an experimental  model to test the isolated compounds  on me and subsequently, Dr.Achrekar, Dalimi and my staff tested and verified its safety on them.  We have gone through tremendous thorough different tests to see lipid profile, liver & kidney functions, electrolytes, and most important is an intracellular calcium compared to other tests. We were happy to see the various effects of our molecules on lipids, sugar, liver, kidney functions, which was working like elixir.

Thereafter, number of heart patients with coronary artery disease, diabetics, hypertension were treated successfully. I named these molecules as Baruah biological molecules in form of  Baruah alpha DH1,DH2.Beta DH1,DH2, Gamma DH1,DH2, Delta DH1-specific to intracellular Calcium.