Manbir Singh Chowdhary

A Life of Struggles – The Memoirs of Kundan S. Khera provides an extremely candid insight into the mind of a man, who, in the face of adverse circumstances throughout his life, never deterred from the pursuit of exemplary scientific research.

Khera, selected as one of the 2,000 outstanding scientists of the 20th century by the International Biographical Centre in Cambridge, England, is renowned as an eminent pioneer of Teratology research. Teratology is the study of defects that occur during the development of an embryo or fetus and become apparent at birth or later.

Having played a leading role in developing set methods to uncover a chemical’s possible adverse effects on fetal development, Khera was instrumental in the Canadian Food and Drug Directorate’s safety assessments of Cyclamate and Monosodium glutamate (MSG).

“The safety issue of cyclamate and MSG brought the new science of Teratology to the forefront. The next two decades, 1970s and 1980s, would become significant in the history of this science when both the FDA [American Food & Drug Administration] and our Directorate were held under siege by a succession of crises ignited by Agent Orange, methyl mercury, red dye Amaranth, blighted potatoes, caffeine, PCBs, and scabby wheat,” explains Khera. “Regulators and scientists in both organizations worked in tandem to provide insight and knowledge in the development of a universal safety system, in which Canada played a key role.”

In 1973, Khera published a study highlighting the devastating effect of Chlorodioxin, an impurity contained in a herbicide known as Agent Orange. Agent Orange, an equal mixture of two defoliants, was applied extensively to crops, rangeland, and timber in Canada and the U.S. Khera points out that a concentration 13 times higher than what was used in Canada and the U.S. was sprayed over two-thirds of South Vietnam to deny cover, refuge, and food to the Viet Cong.

During the Vietnam War, news reports from North Vietnam and Saigon emerged linking the chemical to epidemics of miscarriages and deformed babies. Khera’s 1973 study had shown that Chlorodioxin caused major malformations in rats at a daily dose of only four thousandth of one mg. “It was the most toxic chemical I have ever worked with,” Khera writes. “The defoliants [in Agent Orange] were linked to sarcoma, non Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and Hodgkin’s disease in war veterans, appearing several years after their return.”

Khera’s groundbreaking efforts in the field of Teratology continued as his research exposed the detrimental effects of methyl mercury in humans, negated the effects of FD&C Red No.2 on fetal development, and used Ethylenethioure (ETU), a fungicide, to understand the development of hydrocephalus, an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the brain of a fetus or newborn that enlarges the head and causes mental deficiency.

“ETU gave me an insight on some of the phenomena that are basic to teratology. It captivated my attention for 17 years,” Khera writes.

In 1977, Khera was approached by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in Washington to become a member of the Subcommittee on Reproduction and Teratogenesis.

“Our mandate was to develop a revised set of guidelines...determine how tests should be done, and, more importantly, what areas needed further research,” Khera writes.

When the World Health Organization (WHO) decided to formulate testing guidelines for human safety assessment in developing countries, Khera played a pivotal role that helped further augment his international reputation.

Khera’s greatest contribution, however, lay in re-defining the modern view of maternal toxicity. Until the mid-1980s there was a prevalent scientific belief that a chemical administered to a pregnant mother produces toxic effects by “hitting” the fetus directly.

“One of the most important struggles of my professional life took place in the ten years before retirement when I strove to convince my peers that this view was inaccurate,” Khera explains.

Khera’s research provided evidence that a majority of chemicals, when administered in high-doses during pregnancy, could also affect the fetus indirectly.

“[The chemicals] first caused toxic effects in the mother or placenta, which in turn caused toxic effects on the fetus. The research on toxic effects on the mother created a new field which then modified the method used to interpret animal data for human safety. Investigations on how chemicals or drugs induced congenital defects shifted their emphasis from the embryo per se to the mother-placenta-embryo axis.”

In 1988, he received the prestigious Arnold J. Lehmann Award for ‘scientific excellence and continued contributions to the science of toxicology’.

His journey to this achievement was, by no means, an easy one.

A troubled relationship with his father, a poverty-ridden childhood, witnessing the horrors of the partition of Punjab in 1947, and supporting a family of six as he pursued an academic education, provided the backdrop for Khera's younger years.

It becomes apparent that the trials and tribulations faced in these early days provided him with the mental strength to overcome the challenges later on in life.

“My father’s abuse made me stubborn and rebellious, but they became positive traits that primed my determination at every rejection and hardened my resolve at every defeat,” Khera writes.

Upon return to India in 1958, after research at the Pasteur Institute, and a doctorate degree from the University of Paris at Sorbonne, Khera’s career aspirations were halted by what he describes as an “authoritarian bureaucracy.” In 1962, Khera made the decision to leave India for good.

“Many public officials were power hungry, not accountable to anyone, and were driven by anything but logic…the rank and file of the Congress Party made hardly any effort to create a government that would work for the public good and serve the public interest.”

Despite not having made any tangible efforts to renew or maintain links with the country of his birth, Khera admits in his memoirs, “At times I do feel depressed and embark on a sentimental journey into my past. I listen to Indian music and experience deep nostalgia and a longing for what once was. But always, I reason with myself, look at my life in a positive light, and turn to Claire [wife] for support.”

In 1993, Khera underwent triple bypass surgery, “My close call brought back a rush of memories,” Khera recalled. “It all came back to me – the community I was born in, its members linked by strong social, religious, and blood ties. Everyone knew each other and cherished their family history. All of us, Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs lived and worked together in harmony and celebrated religious functions in peace and goodwill…all of us were there to support each other in times of need, casting aside all differences. This strongly influenced my psychological development.”

Dr. Kundan Khera passed away on April 1st, 2003. His memoirs will serve as a legacy of the invaluable contribution he made to scientific advancement.

Kundan Khera’s journey begins on the dusty streets of an impoverished Indian village and leads to recognition as one of the world’s outstanding scientists. His memoirs are painted with tales of grief, tragedy, and brutal hardships on the one hand, and with humanity, friendship, humor, and self-fulfillment on the other. Married at 15, Khera struggles to secure his own and his family’s future, enduring hunger and appalling living and working conditions.

Labeled “insubordinate” by his superior, Khera sadly sees little opportunity for advancement in India. Winning a postdoctoral fellowship at Baylor University in Houston marks the turning point in his career and his life. His move to Canada results in his pioneering research on maternal toxicity and on the toxic effects of drugs and chemicals on human health. His research into MSG, caffeine, Agent Orange, and other chemicals and pesticides set the standard for testing and has been recognized internationally by his peers.

Publish America Books
ISBN: 1-59286-619-0