From a spiral of pain, a questioning and brilliant mind evolved. One that looked for answers incessantly. That same mind has now gone on to make a mark in the field of science and medicine at just 16 years of age. But this insatiable curiosity transformed Krtin Nithiyanandam from a “boisterous and creative” little fellow to a thinking one. Today, the Chennai-born Tamilian, a resident of Surrey’s Epsom since he was eleven months old (when his family left Chennai for the UK), is immersed in the thick of research whilst still in school. A journey which started out of his own suffering (hearing disability), catapulted him into the scientific scheme of things, leading the boy who’s email id has a “kanna” endearingly and aptly attached to it, to discover an Alzhiemer’s Test when he was just 15 for which he won the Google Scientific American Innovator Award — the test diagnoses early signs of the disease.
Most recently, Krtin created a flutter in the oncological world by finding a way to turn a fatal and unresponsive triple negative breast cancer into one responsive to chemotherapy — almost a cure. “Some years ago, I was having operations to fix my hearing as I was really suffering. When doctors explained my new titanium prosthesis, I was fascinated. There are three ossicles in the ear, and I had an infection which had eroded them. That’s when I became interested in medical sciences,” explains Krtin, who also had a hip fracture while playing squash and cricket that spurred him further. Krtin’s ever-questioning mind seems mature beyond years, and deep into research, trials and bio-chemistry, his holidays are packed. Almost intuitively, they awakened a prodigious talent.
The school boy spends time emailing professors, visiting labs, scouring new studies. “In the Alzheimer’s test, cancer immunotherapy uses the same sort of principle, but I tweaked it, so instead of using it for treatment, I created it as a test. Antibodies target one specific protein. I created a bi-specific antibody, two separate antibodies broken into fragments, joined together, to create an antibody that has two different targets. I created a quantum dot that allowed me to detect the antibodies,” he explains of his test that penetrates the brain, identifying neurotoxic particles that can then be seen through MRIs, detecting it 10 years before.
Krtin (right) playing squash
His groundbreaking idea for breast cancer has the smiling teen donning a scientific persona, which like his favourite scientist Albert Einstein, makes Krtin all professorish, even though it comes from the mouth of a smiling, funloving boy next door, “I came across this protein ID4, and wondered whether blocking it would have certain effects on the cancer. I started this early last year. I was looking at suppressing a gene called P10. In most breast cancers, if you increase the level of P10, you increase the expression of P10 in cancerous tissue, and the susceptibility to chemotherapy increases. But this does not work with triple negative cancer. I found a way to make triple negative breast cancer most susceptible to chemotherapy — there is a subset of triple negative that comes from undifferentiated cells. I found a way to change it to another cancer (differentiated cells), so we can treat it,” Krtin explains, adding, “I’m not blocking the ID 4 protein, I am blocking the gene producing ID4, one that stops undifferentiated stem cell cancers from differentiating (which is treatable). I’ve gotten to a point where gene silencing is about 70 per cent which is good as you don’t want to block the gene 100 per cent. The research has worked well in-vitro, but to validate it, we have to do in-vivo studies. Delivering in-vivo into a particular tissue will require delivery mechanism — I am currently working on this.”
His clarity of thought is surprising — he wants to study medicine, and academic medicine at university, “I can then do research and also have clinical exposure,” he says. “My parents and my brother have been very supportive,” says Krtin who’s younger brother Anoopp is a squash champ. Grasping the enormity of his breakthrough, Krtin keeps it simple, “We young people are obviously not as knowledgeable as professors or doctors, so we don’t know what’s impossible or possible. We try things (we like), and if it doesn’t work, it’s a shame. If it does work, the implications could be promising. It’s the notion that we are not afraid to try,” says a thoughtful Krtin.
The prodigy feels science has given him an impetus but is modest, “The same way I like science, other 16-year-olds are incredible at sport, acting or arts. You do what interests you, pursue it, and some very exciting things can happen,” which rings true for this teenage research maverick. If biochemical research is daunting enough, having to explain his path breaking research to friends can be a task. But Krtin laughs, saying that after explaining it a few times, his friends got behind the concept though they do joke about his “brilliance”. “Much of my research was done outside school, in my own free time, especially holidays,” he says.
Time, Krtin feels, is quite tricky to balance yet he is quite the all-rounder. A squash player, he plays inter county matches for Surrey, and also plays the piano (grade six), which soothes him. He finds time to be chariable, as part of a programme called St. John Ambulance cadets, that imparts first aid training. The Alzheimer’s test’s in-vivo trails are looking positive. But the young genius is cautious, “We have to go through several stages of testing to determine it safe for humans, and that it works in a natural body. This will take several years, but it’s necessary to ensure that the drug is safe and effective,” mulls the boy who’s scientific years clearly outweigh biological ones.
His school Head of Physics, Mr Costello kindled his passion, and works very closely with Krtin’s research. On what kind of person he is, “I hope, I am quite friendly. I have a normal social life, I just have another interest — which is science. I like watching movies, The Imitation Game and Interstellar are favourites. I like pizza but paneer I love (panirr — a very British pronounciation),” he says. He visits India once a year to see his grandparents in Chennai’s Kodambakkam area, time that he cherishes. For Krtin, his work is just beginning, “The most significant aspect of being noted for my scientific research is that it goes to show that students are capable of conducting novel scientific studies. It is a great honour and privilege and it encourages me to pursue my research further, but I also hope it goes to show that other students also have the capability to contribute to scientific research whilst still at school,” says the wonder boy.
