K'Shar Syndrome

As seen in

Book 1 of The Korpes File Series -Teaser

A Cure For K'Shar Syndrome by J. I. Rogers

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Discovery

2478:

K'Shar Syndrome was first identified in 2495 by the founder of KMR&D's Special Projects Division, Dr. Ashok Maro, after his wife, K'Shar, became ill. Although he was unable to discover a cure before her death in 2509, he isolated the cause; a lack of genetic diversity due to centuries of inbreeding. When he presented his findings to the Head of KMR&D, the Council was notified. He was ordered to bury the results but quietly work on a cure. This task was passed down to his son and then grandson.

K'Shar Syndrome Genes.png

by J. I. Rogers

K'Shar Syndrome Infographic

Symptoms

K'Shar Syndrome manifests in Korlo as early as five years old, and as late as twenty-five. These symptoms can go undiagnosed at first, as Larocona mirrors them closely.

Early signs include:

• Chronic joint pain.

• Low-grade fever.

• System-wide inflammation.

• Decreased appetite.

• Weight-loss

As the disease progresses:

• Loss of bone density.

• Increased pain.

• Inability to sleep

• Deterioration of muscles and tendons.

• Increased autoimmune disfunction.

Late stage:

• Dementia.

• Organ failure.

The Official (Abbreviated) Timeline

• From 2511 until his death in 2526, Dr. Ashok Maro tried different forms of sanctioned gene therapy. While the preliminary results demonstrated the disease could be slowed, there was no sign of remission. Each experiment ended in failure, but he was certain he was close.

• In 2527, his son, Aeryn, applied to KMR&D to be able to continue his father's work and was granted access to Nekkaro Station and all of the research that had been compiled. The research was impeded by natural disaster and war, but by 2569, he'd made significant headway in developing a serum. He died knowing that his son would be the one to find the final pieces of the puzzle.

• Selwyn Maro picked up the mantle of his father in 2570, and by 2590, he'd risen to Head of the Special Projects Division and overseen a myriad of pharmaceutical developments. A talented geneticist, Vivienne Kruvic, joined his team that year but a few months later was diagnosed with K'Shar Syndrome. Undaunted, she elected to remain and pursue the cure. Selwyn promised her that the disease would not claim her. Together, they worked tirelessly on the solution.

• In 2613, KMR&D issued a press release that the Special Projects Division had produced a Serum Therapy for K'Shar Syndrome, and Dr. Kruvic was living proof that it worked.

Honoring Those Who Developed The Cure:

Dr. Ashok Maro - born 2475 - died 2526
Dr. Aeryn Maro - born 2500 - died 2569
Dr. Selwyn Maro - born 2547 - present day
Dr. Vivienne Kruvic - born 2567 - present day

The Truth

Details For Those That Have Already Read The Korpes File:

Show spoiler

2527:

After studying the regenerative abilities inherent to those with Tyran heritage, Dr. Aeryn Maro devised the concept of using Tyran Hormone Therapy (THT) to treat K'Shar Syndrome , but it was taboo to the Korlo for religious reasons*. Breaking with tradition, he pursued his research in secret at Nekkaro Station and developed the first safe/sustainable procedure for harvesting raw Colysamine from Tyran throwbacks. The hormone is extracted directly from the Colys Gland** by inserting a long, ultra-fine needle under the base of the skull and then tapping three of the four reservoirs within the gland itself. After these have been drained, the hormone is mixed with a dilution buffer. The product has a shelf-life of one month.
"Exhale" from The Seep threatened Nekkaro Station in 2532, and the site was evacuated after a "Bloom" was detected. Burn Crews worked for several months to clear the surrounding area, but the lab was severely compromised. It took five years to clear out the toxic mold so that the staff could return.

2537:

Early trials were carried out using cloned Korlo brain matter. When indications proved promising, five volunteers with K'Shar Syndrome were selected from the prisoner population at Tantrys. The patients all saw a reduction in their pain, and while the disease's progression was slowed, it wasn't stopped. The last surviving patient lived until they were sixty.
Research was halted from 2548 to 2553 when hostilities between Korlune and Ankoresh sparked a border war. The staff of Nekkaro Station was reassigned to Ethos Station for security purposes.

2570:

Dr. Selwyn Maro began experimenting with ways to increase hormone production using drug therapy. Ninety percent of the throwbacks in the program suffered violent, psychotic breaks. Undaunted by this setback, he and his team began researching an anti-psychotic to add into the mix.
It took until 2590 for Laxmir - a stable Zelat derivative to be formulated.

2590:

At twenty-three, Dr. Vivienne Kruvic volunteered to become the first official recipient of THT when a donor, Nash X. Korpes, was recruited through KMR&D's Prodigy Program. Her treatments began six months later.
Unfortunately, in 2596, Nash was severely beaten in an incident involving Suppression Guards and spent six months in an Autonomic Suspension Tank, recovering. Military Command ordered that he undergo Aversion Therapy to curb his aggressive tendencies before he could return to active duty. Selwyn and Vivienne both protested this, but their pleas were ignored. Vivienne's surgery was postponed, and her THT was adjusted to allow for Nash's condition. She moved her lab to Junelle Station after Nash was reassigned to that location.
In 2598, they were forced to postpone the surgery again after a terrorist attack destroyed Junelle, four other critical Korlo sites, and seven Diasporan cities. Nash was presumed dead, and Selwyn began searching for an alternate donor. Rather than see Vivienne succumb, Selwyn decided to supply her personally with Colysamine, and her THT continued.
Nash was located in 2600 after a Field Hospital Med-Tech near Junelle notified Selwyn that an unknown throwback had just been transferred to his ward. Nash was recovered and brought to Nekkaro Station for an assessment. Although he'd been damaged during his two-year misadventure, Selwyn felt certain that he'd still be a viable donor.

2601:

After Talim Rand died, Selwyn became Director of KMR&D. He appointed Vivienne to Head of the Special Projects Division and mandated that she complete the project. During that same year, Nash went on a rampage in Nekkaro Station and was taken into custody by Korlune Military. He was sent to Tantrys prison and effectively out of reach.
In 2603, Vivienne underwent transplant surgery after an accident at Sintaho Station left her critically wounded. Her emergency donor, Winston Stayne, survived the procedure despite only being a class 3 Tyran throwback*** and having not been prepped. The transplant was a success, and her disease went into complete remission.
Then in 2605, after three Recall Orders**** had been filled. THT was offered to three select individuals within KMR&D who had a diagnosis of K'Shar Syndrome. Each received the transplant surgery in 2611 and in each case the disease has gone into complete remission.

2613:

Once the three demonstrated that they were in free of K'Shar Syndrome, Dr. Kruvic and Dr. Maro issued the press release announcing the treatment, rebranding THT as Serum Therapy for better optics.

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Is Serum Therapy Available To The General Public?

Yes. While the treatment remains experimental, Dr. Maro and Dr. Kruvic will screen any applicants and assess their suitability. Age is the greatest roadblock as most individuals with K'Shar Syndrome die before they reach forty.

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What New Patients Will Be Told.

The cure is not immediate. It takes several years to accomplish and is achieved in stages:

• Pre-Surgery: It takes three years to prepare for the surgery. During that time, the patient will receive Serum Therapy in the form of weekly injections to strengthen their immune system and begin healing the damaged genes that carry K'Shar Syndrome.

• Surgery: Cloned genetic material, free of the disease, will be surgically implanted and then activated using nanotechnology designed by KMR&D's Special Projects Division. This process will take a week and requires that the patient consent to being placed in Autonomic Suspension for that time.

• Post-Surgery: The patient is assessed for any signs of rejection during the month-long recovery after they leave suspension. Once they've been cleared, they're free to return to their normal lives. Annual check-ups are required.

The Facts

Details For Those That Have Already Read The Korpes File:

Show spoiler

What New Patients Will NOT Be Told.

• Pre-Surgery:A Tyran throwback (donor) is assigned to the Korlo patient, and the patient will receive weekly injections of dilute Colysamine collected from their donor over the next three years. This adaptation period allows the Korlo body to acclimatize to the new hormone. It is during this time that the dense neuron sack begins to form on top of their brainstem. The patient is prescribed medication to control pain and side effects between treatments. The donor is also placed on a strict regimen of drugs to keep them stable and prep the Colys Gland for the surgery.

• Transplant:Using advanced nano surgical techniques, half of the donor's Colys Gland is removed and then directly transplanted into the newly formed neuron sack in the patient. Both the patient and the donor are placed in Autonomic Suspension. The patient's new Colys Gland requires several days to synchronize with its new, Korlo physiology. The donor's Colys Gland is stimulated to begin healing. Note: If there are signs of rejection, the option to correct the Colysamine imbalance and perform a second transplant is available with minimal risk to the patient. However, if a second surgery becomes necessary, the donor will not survive the procedure.

• Post-Surgery: The patient has become physical host to The Collective.

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* Ancient Korlo religious texts called the "Shan Rei" instruct on the "Preservation of the Four Bodies." While religion has fallen out of favor among the majority of the population, the core beliefs seem to be ingrained on a genetic level. Most Korlo still view the concept of transfusions and transplants from non-Korlo donors to be anathema, as it will taint their soul and prevent them from joining their ancestors in Shandophai (the promised afterlife). This belief has led to many advances in synthetic organ production and cloning techniques. The products of these technologies have been sanctioned by the Curates of the Shan Rei as clean.
** The Colys Gland not only controls the Tyran's ability to heal but can regenerate up to fifty percent of itself if damaged. Due to factors in the Tyran blood type, it cannot be replicated synthetically or cloned.
*** A class 3 Tyran throwback is a bit of a misnomer as it applies to someone with Tyran ancestry that has a fully functioning Colys Gland but doesn't have more than three Tyran genetic markers.
**** A Recall Order is the code name given to a covert action, in which the person of interest is located in the general population and brought (usually against their will) back to Nekkaro Station. There has been a standing Recall Order on all Tyran throwbacks since the terrorist attack in 2598.