For wonder cure, prof breeds frogs with three eyes

According to him, evolutionary history suggests that primitive animals, including some vertebrates, had three eyes on the frontal lobe.

‘‘With time, two of these eyes shifted sideways in animals. Due to this development, the middle eye, which remained in its place, lost its utility. But it survived as a vestigial organ, right above the nose, as pineal gland,’’ he says.

Banking on this logic, Jangir says he began his experiments a few years ago on tadpoles. ‘‘We first removed the two eyes of a tadpole. Then we began to treat the pineal gland with Vitamin A. Gradually, this gland transformed into an eye. It had all the properties of a normal eye and performed its entire set of functions,’’ says Dr Jangir. Later, the associate professor transplanted this eye in another tadpole. ‘‘This worked and soon our three-eyed tadpoles were ready,’’ he says. Today, his lab is full of such tadpoles.

Recognition began pouring soon. ‘‘The American Association for the Advancement of Sciences made me its member even without my applying for it,’’ claims Dr Jangir.

‘‘They offered me all assistance for the project, saying that all further developments would be under their banner. But my conscience did not permit this, so I refused,’’ he says.

Recently, the UGC sanctioned a grant for taking forward the experiment, says Dr Jangir.

He has now begun experiments on mammals. and plans to transplant pineal glands from newly-born mice in blind mice. If this works, humans could be next in line, he says.