For medical science, it was a leap forward in the first full voice box transplant for an active cancer patient. For Marty Kedian, it was an emotional moment as he got his voice back, and was able to talk to his dear ones, thanks to the medical miracle. Mayo Clinic in the US state of Arizona has achieved the breakthrough as part of a landmark clinical trial, after a 21-hour-long procedure.&nbsp;

Kedian was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer that affected his larynx 11 years ago.&nbsp;The larynx, a vital organ in the throat commonly called the voice box, is what gives us the ability to speak.

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After a series of surgeries for his cancer, Kedian had lost his voice. He could not also breath or swallow on his own.

He went through the surgery on February 29, and now, his voice is stronger than ever. Not only that, but he can swallow food now and is working on improving his breathing.

"I can talk to my 82-year-old mother, on the phone, and she could hear me," he said in an interview with Associated Press news agency.

"I want people to know, this can be done. &nbsp;You can hear my voice right now. Two months ago, I couldn't talk," said Kedian.

He had earlier refused surgery to remove his voice box completely, which was the last option to cure his cancer. "Quality of life is just gone," said the grandfather.

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In February, he opted for larynx transplant surgery despite the risks.

A total transplant could result in the body rejecting a new organ, leading to multiple complications and even death. Kedian already had a kidney transplant and was taking anti-rejection medication. So doctors made an exception and gave the go-ahead for him to go through the complex voice box transplant surgery.

He was among the first recipients of a clinical trial, and one of 10 patients, to see if such life-changing transplants could succeed.

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This is the third known larynx transplant in the US and the first known case performed on a patient with active cancer as part of a clinical trial, Mayo Clinic said in a report on its website, adding it was also the hospital's first total larynx transplant.&nbsp;

The six-member surgeons' team &nbsp;was led by Dr David Lott.

"You may be putting them at extra risk," said Dr Lott. Patients with such conditions "become very reclusive.... may be alive but not really living," he told AP.

In the US every year, more than 12,000 people are diagnosed with larynx cancer, out of which thousands have had to completely remove their larynx or lost their voices.

"It is important that we do these trials so that we can...do this transplant safely," said Dr Karuna Dewan of Louisiana State University in an interview with AP.

Kedian can now talk to his granddaughter. "I am keeping my voice, no matter what I have to go through," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

For medical science, it was a leap forward in the first full voice box transplant for an active cancer patient. For Marty Kedian, it was an emotional moment as he got his voice back, and was able to talk to his dear ones, thanks to the medical miracle.

For medical science, it was a leap forward in the first full voice box transplant for an active cancer patient. For Marty Kedian, it was an emotional moment as he got his voice back, and was able to talk to his dear ones, thanks to the medical miracle. Mayo Clinic in the US state of Arizona has achieved the breakthrough as part of a landmark clinical trial, after a 21-hour-long procedure. Kedian was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer that affected his larynx 11 years ago. The larynx, a vital organ in the throat commonly called the voice box, is what gives us the ability to speak. Also read | 'Female-dominant society behind male suicides', says South Korean Councillor After a series of surgeries for his cancer, Kedian had lost his voice. He could not also breath or swallow on his own. He went through the surgery on February 29, and now, his voice is stronger than ever. Not only that, but he can swallow food now and is working on improving his breathing. "I can talk to my 82-year-old mother, on the phone, and she could hear me," he said in an interview with Associated Press news agency. "I want people to know, this can be done. You can hear my voice right now. Two months ago, I couldn't talk," said Kedian. He had earlier refused surgery to remove his voice box completely, which was the last option to cure his cancer. "Quality of life is just gone," said the grandfather. × In February, he opted for larynx transplant surgery despite the risks. A total transplant could result in the body rejecting a new organ, leading to multiple complications and even death. Kedian already had a kidney transplant and was taking anti-rejection medication. So doctors made an exception and gave the go-ahead for him to go through the complex voice box transplant surgery. He was among the first recipients of a clinical trial, and one of 10 patients, to see if such life-changing transplants could succeed. Also read | Trump challenges Biden to 18-hole golf match, second debate: 'Will donate to charity if...' This is the third known larynx transplant in the US and the first known case performed on a patient with active cancer as part of a clinical trial, Mayo Clinic said in a report on its website, adding it was also the hospital's first total larynx transplant. The six-member surgeons' team was led by Dr David Lott. "You may be putting them at extra risk," said Dr Lott. Patients with such conditions "become very reclusive.... may be alive but not really living," he told AP. In the US every year, more than 12,000 people are diagnosed with larynx cancer, out of which thousands have had to completely remove their larynx or lost their voices. "It is important that we do these trials so that we can...do this transplant safely," said Dr Karuna Dewan of Louisiana State University in an interview with AP. Kedian can now talk to his granddaughter. "I am keeping my voice, no matter what I have to go through," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Cancer patient gets voice back with total larynx transplant: 'I could talk to my 82-year-old mother...'

The hands of a brain-dead woman have offered a new lease of life to a youngster who lost both his hands to electric burns. The life-changing bilateral hand transplant (below elbow) was performed at a private hospital in the Southern Indian city of Chennai, after the limbs of the brain-dead person were flown from Ahmedabad to Chennai, mapping a distance of nearly 1800 kms.

The hands of a brain-dead woman have offered a new lease of life to a youngster who lost both his hands to electric burns. The life-changing bilateral hand transplant (below elbow) was performed at a private hospital in the Southern Indian city of Chennai, after the limbs of the brain-dead person were flown from Ahmedabad to Chennai, mapping a distance of nearly 1800 kms. The recipient had lost both his hands due to high-voltage electrical burns in 2018 and was completely dependent on his mother for daily activities. Confident of undergoing a hand transplant, the youngster had registered with the Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (TRANSTAN) and had been waiting for three years. It took a 14-hour-long procedure involving eight plastic surgeons, four orthopedician, a vascular surgeon, four anaesthetists, a nephrologist and 30 paramedical staff. The team was led by Dr. S Selva Seetharaman, HOD & Senior Consultant - Plastic, Aesthetic & reconstructive Surgery, Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai. "Handling a case of hand transplants requires the highest levels of precision and medical expertise. With this case, we are happy to have recorded this rare feat of bilateral below elbow hand transplant in the state of Tamil Nadu," Dr. Selva said. Speaking at the felicitation, Vice President of India, Venkaiah Naidu said that this case is a great example to motivate people to step forward and donate organs, especially hands of brain-dead patients and provide a good quality of life to the differently abled. The transplant procedure was successfully carried out on 28th May 2022 and the patient is on the road to recovery, with intensive physiotherapy.

India: Youth successfully undergoes hands transplant in Tamil Nadu hospital

A marathon seven-hour long surgery involving eight doctors and 24 nurses was performed in the southern Indian city of Chennai to save the life of a 4-year old whose small intestine had stopped functioning.

The complicated surgery involved precisely removing 150cm of the father’s small intestine and transplanting it to his son.

More than three months after the surgery, as the father and son are going about their daily lives, doctors opened up on the extremely rare condition faced by the boy and the transplant that they performed.&nbsp;

It all began when Guhan, a four-year-old boy, developed sudden and erratic vomiting.

Upon visiting a hospital, the family learnt that their son was diagnosed with a condition known as ‘volvulus’, which meant that his smaller intestine was twisted and thereby cut off from blood flow.

Hence, all the cells in his small intestine were dying and the organ was losing its function. With the absorption of nutrients being the key function of the small intestine, this organ’s failure was a serious threat to the young boy’s life.&nbsp;

With no option left, the parents had to allow the doctors to remove their son’s small intestine entirely in order to save him.

However, the young boy had to endure extreme hardships as he had to be endlessly hooked onto intravenous feeding (nutrients being fed directly into the bloodstream), even for his basic sustenance.

He just couldn’t be fed like kids of his age, as the food he ingests normally would cause further health complications in his already fragile body.&nbsp;

Later, after consulting Rela Hospital in Chennai, the family was made aware of the possibility of intestinal transplantation. Despite the risks, the family went ahead with the procedure, as it was the only hope for saving their ailing son.

Swaminathan, Guhan’s father donated 150cm of his small intestine —which could be as long as six meters—for the transplant.&nbsp;

Dr Naresh Shanmugam, senior consultant, Liver and Gastro specialist for children, explained that volvulus can occur&nbsp;only twice in thousand cases, and was an issue seen during the initial growth years.

He added that twisted intestines could surgically be untwisted when the condition is detected early enough.

When queried about how the 150cm transplanted small intestine could carry out the function of the organ that spans up to six meters in length, he told WION that it would eventually be functional and can last the boy his entire lifetime.&nbsp;

According to prof. Mohamed Rela, who headed the team that performed the surgery, such transplants always faced the risk of organ rejection by the recipient.

However in this case, adequate care was provided to mitigate that issue. He also explained that such intestine transplants can’t be done from one living adult to another. In the case of adults, such organs can only be removed from cadavers, he added.&nbsp;

With the surgery being successfully completed on September 13 last year, Guhan had to completely depend on intravenous nutrition for several months.

Gradually, as the new organ was accepted by his system, he began to consume food normally.

According to Guhan’s parents, going in for a transplant was terrifying, but they went ahead with it, owing to the doctors’ reassurance and for giving their son a second chance at life.&nbsp;

“For those that suffer failure of the small intestine, only intravenous nutrition would be possible. However, even that is not viable after 10-15 years. In most cases, it leads to gradual loss of life,” Rela explained.

Intestine transplants are not as common as liver of kidney transplants, he added.

According to the Asia Book of Records, this transplant procedure was recognized as Asia’s Youngest Small Intestine Transplant surgery.&nbsp;

A marathon seven-hour long surgery involving eight doctors and 24 nurses was performed in the southern Indian city of Chennai to save the life of a 4-year old whose small intestine had stopped functioning.

A marathon seven-hour long surgery involving eight doctors and 24 nurses was performed in the southern Indian city of Chennai to save the life of a 4-year old whose small intestine had stopped functioning. The complicated surgery involved precisely removing 150cm of the father’s small intestine and transplanting it to his son. More than three months after the surgery, as the father and son are going about their daily lives, doctors opened up on the extremely rare condition faced by the boy and the transplant that they performed. It all began when Guhan, a four-year-old boy, developed sudden and erratic vomiting. Upon visiting a hospital, the family learnt that their son was diagnosed with a condition known as ‘volvulus’, which meant that his smaller intestine was twisted and thereby cut off from blood flow. Hence, all the cells in his small intestine were dying and the organ was losing its function. With the absorption of nutrients being the key function of the small intestine, this organ’s failure was a serious threat to the young boy’s life. With no option left, the parents had to allow the doctors to remove their son’s small intestine entirely in order to save him. However, the young boy had to endure extreme hardships as he had to be endlessly hooked onto intravenous feeding (nutrients being fed directly into the bloodstream), even for his basic sustenance. He just couldn’t be fed like kids of his age, as the food he ingests normally would cause further health complications in his already fragile body. Later, after consulting Rela Hospital in Chennai, the family was made aware of the possibility of intestinal transplantation. Despite the risks, the family went ahead with the procedure, as it was the only hope for saving their ailing son. Swaminathan, Guhan’s father donated 150cm of his small intestine —which could be as long as six meters—for the transplant. Dr Naresh Shanmugam, senior consultant, Liver and Gastro specialist for children, explained that volvulus can occur only twice in thousand cases, and was an issue seen during the initial growth years. He added that twisted intestines could surgically be untwisted when the condition is detected early enough. When queried about how the 150cm transplanted small intestine could carry out the function of the organ that spans up to six meters in length, he told WION that it would eventually be functional and can last the boy his entire lifetime. According to prof. Mohamed Rela, who headed the team that performed the surgery, such transplants always faced the risk of organ rejection by the recipient. However in this case, adequate care was provided to mitigate that issue. He also explained that such intestine transplants can’t be done from one living adult to another. In the case of adults, such organs can only be removed from cadavers, he added. With the surgery being successfully completed on September 13 last year, Guhan had to completely depend on intravenous nutrition for several months. Gradually, as the new organ was accepted by his system, he began to consume food normally. According to Guhan’s parents, going in for a transplant was terrifying, but they went ahead with it, owing to the doctors’ reassurance and for giving their son a second chance at life. “For those that suffer failure of the small intestine, only intravenous nutrition would be possible. However, even that is not viable after 10-15 years. In most cases, it leads to gradual loss of life,” Rela explained. Intestine transplants are not as common as liver of kidney transplants, he added. According to the Asia Book of Records, this transplant procedure was recognized as Asia’s Youngest Small Intestine Transplant surgery.

Chennai: Father donates small intestine to 4-year-old son, both safe after transplant surgery 

In a new study, researchers have developed an oral prodrug that delivers carbon monoxide to protect against acute kidney injury.&nbsp;Researchers from Georgia State University, led by Binghe Wang, published the study in Chemical Science.

Scientists have discovered that carbon monoxide (CO) can have beneficial effects by reducing inflammation and protecting cells against injury, even though it is toxic in large doses. CO has been found to protect kidneys, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and liver, as well as other organs, from injury.

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Over a period of five years, using saccharine (found in Sweet'N Low) and acesulfame (found in Splenda) as "carrier" molecules, Wang's team developed prodrugs for treating CO that could be administered orally.

Prodrugs are inactive compounds that, when administered undergo a chemical process in the body, release&nbsp;active pharmacological agents. When exposed to water, these molecules decompose, releasing carbon dioxide.&nbsp;

These are the first examples of orally active, organic CO prodrugs that use a benign carrier and have a demonstrated safety profile.

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Wang, a senior author of the paper and a scholar at the Georgia Research Alliance, says that it is difficult to deliver gas therapeutics, much less poisonous gases, to patients and that this work represents an important step toward developing alternative delivery forms.&nbsp;

In order to be sure that the carrier will be safe to be used in a pill for human consumption, they wanted to work with a carrier that has a very well-characterised safety profile, she added.

A prodrug, CO-306, was tested for its potential to protect against acute kidney damage. By administering the prodrug along with the carrier molecule, saccharine to mice, the researchers found that it reduced the biomarkers of renal damage, suggesting that CO-306 could be developed into a viable therapeutic molecule.

Mouse models were used to replicate kidney tissue damage associated with muscle damage, sickle cell disease, malaria, cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, and severe sepsis.

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A more extensive animal model study and safety assessment will be conducted on CO-306 by Professor Wang and colleagues at Georgia State University, Vanderbilt University, Harvard Medical School, and the University of Mississippi before human clinical trials may begin.&nbsp;

In addition, they also plan to test its effectiveness against other types of organ injuries.

Wang says CO-based therapies particularly hold promise as a method of reducing the likelihood of organ damage during transplantation and improving outcomes for transplant patients.

CO-based therapy holds particular promise as a way to reduce the risk of organ damage during transplantation and improve recovery rates for transplant patients, according to Wang.

"Science shows that exposing organs to CO gas can help preserve organs and prevent them from deteriorating during the process of transplantation," he said. "Now we need to demonstrate that these prodrugs can have a similar effect."

(With inputs from agencies)

In a new study, researchers have developed an oral prodrug that delivers carbon monoxide to protect against acute kidney injury. Researchers from Georgia State University, led by Binghe Wang, published the study in Chemical Science.

In a new study, researchers have developed an oral prodrug that delivers carbon monoxide to protect against acute kidney injury. Researchers from Georgia State University, led by Binghe Wang, published the study in Chemical Science. Scientists have discovered that carbon monoxide (CO) can have beneficial effects by reducing inflammation and protecting cells against injury, even though it is toxic in large doses. CO has been found to protect kidneys, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and liver, as well as other organs, from injury. Also read | Study suggests possible link between alcohol consumption and cancer Over a period of five years, using saccharine (found in Sweet'N Low) and acesulfame (found in Splenda) as "carrier" molecules, Wang's team developed prodrugs for treating CO that could be administered orally. Prodrugs are inactive compounds that, when administered undergo a chemical process in the body, release active pharmacological agents. When exposed to water, these molecules decompose, releasing carbon dioxide. These are the first examples of orally active, organic CO prodrugs that use a benign carrier and have a demonstrated safety profile. Also read | Drinking coffee reduces risk of contracting coronavirus: Study Wang, a senior author of the paper and a scholar at the Georgia Research Alliance, says that it is difficult to deliver gas therapeutics, much less poisonous gases, to patients and that this work represents an important step toward developing alternative delivery forms. In order to be sure that the carrier will be safe to be used in a pill for human consumption, they wanted to work with a carrier that has a very well-characterised safety profile, she added. A prodrug, CO-306, was tested for its potential to protect against acute kidney damage. By administering the prodrug along with the carrier molecule, saccharine to mice, the researchers found that it reduced the biomarkers of renal damage, suggesting that CO-306 could be developed into a viable therapeutic molecule. Mouse models were used to replicate kidney tissue damage associated with muscle damage, sickle cell disease, malaria, cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, and severe sepsis. Also read | Study claiming smokers less vulnerable to COVID-19 retracted as authors linked to tobacco industry A more extensive animal model study and safety assessment will be conducted on CO-306 by Professor Wang and colleagues at Georgia State University, Vanderbilt University, Harvard Medical School, and the University of Mississippi before human clinical trials may begin. In addition, they also plan to test its effectiveness against other types of organ injuries. Wang says CO-based therapies particularly hold promise as a method of reducing the likelihood of organ damage during transplantation and improving outcomes for transplant patients. CO-based therapy holds particular promise as a way to reduce the risk of organ damage during transplantation and improve recovery rates for transplant patients, according to Wang. "Science shows that exposing organs to CO gas can help preserve organs and prevent them from deteriorating during the process of transplantation," he said. "Now we need to demonstrate that these prodrugs can have a similar effect." (With inputs from agencies)

Carbon monoxide can be used to protect organs during transplant: Study

Indian police said today they have arrested the head of an upmarket hospital in Mumbai and four doctors on suspicion of organ trafficking. 
 
Police reportedly stopped a kidney transplant procedure at the L H Hiranandani hospital after finding that documents showing the donor was married to the intended recipient were forged. They said the woman giving up her kidney was being paid, according to the Press Trust of India news agency. 
 
Organs can only be donated by close relatives or by non-relatives approved by a special committee in India, and buying and selling them is illegal. 
 
&quot;We have arrested the chief executive of L H Hiranandani hospital, Sujit Chatterjee, and four doctors,&quot; said Mumbai police spokesman Ashok Dudhe. 
 
They have been remanded in custody until Saturday, he added. It is not the first such case&nbsp;?&nbsp;in June Indian police said they had uncovered an illegal organ donation racket run out of a top New Delhi hospital. That case also involved forged documents showing that the donors and the recipients were related. 
 
Staff at the Apollo hospital were arrested, although its management denied any role and said it was the &quot;victim of a well-orchestrated operation to cheat patients and the hospital&quot;. 
 
Millions of Indians suffer from kidney disease, mostly because of high rates of diabetes. But a chronic shortage of organs available for transplant has fuelled a black market. 
 
(AFP)

Police reportedly stopped a kidney transplant at LH Hiranandani hospital after finding that the donor documents were forged

Indian police said today they have arrested the head of an upmarket hospital in Mumbai and four doctors on suspicion of organ trafficking. Police reportedly stopped a kidney transplant procedure at the L H Hiranandani hospital after finding that documents showing the donor was married to the intended recipient were forged. They said the woman giving up her kidney was being paid, according to the Press Trust of India news agency. Organs can only be donated by close relatives or by non-relatives approved by a special committee in India, and buying and selling them is illegal. "We have arrested the chief executive of L H Hiranandani hospital, Sujit Chatterjee, and four doctors," said Mumbai police spokesman Ashok Dudhe. They have been remanded in custody until Saturday, he added. It is not the first such case ? in June Indian police said they had uncovered an illegal organ donation racket run out of a top New Delhi hospital. That case also involved forged documents showing that the donors and the recipients were related. Staff at the Apollo hospital were arrested, although its management denied any role and said it was the "victim of a well-orchestrated operation to cheat patients and the hospital". Millions of Indians suffer from kidney disease, mostly because of high rates of diabetes. But a chronic shortage of organs available for transplant has fuelled a black market. (AFP)

Head of upmarket Mumbai hospital, 4 doctors arrested on suspicion of organ trafficking