godfather of surgery

Chapter 1296 Blooming everywhere

The treatment for Ms. Lillian Windsor from the UK went remarkably smoothly. It was her first time using K therapy, and she experienced no adverse reactions whatsoever, not even a low-grade fever. It was similar to receiving an infusion of saline solution.

Even she herself doubted whether this new drug was effective, because compared to what she had imagined, K therapy seemed too ordinary.

What surprised the doctors was that her treatment was very effective. After one treatment, most of the tumor cells were killed. The follow-up imaging showed that most of the original tumor area showed high signal intensity due to edema, which indicated that most of the tumor cells had undergone apoptosis and the rest were just cell corpses that had disintegrated and were waiting to be absorbed.

Yang Ping crossed his arms and stared at the images for a long time, lost in thought: "I want to see Ms. Windsor's tumor cell sample. Her treatment was surprisingly effective, and I want to know why."

“At the time, she wanted to get treatment as soon as possible, so she used the standard treatment plan, which theoretically shouldn’t have been more effective than a customized plan,” Song Ziming said from the side.

"That's why it's even more worthy of study." Yang Ping's gaze remained fixed on the images and pictures.

"When we extracted her cerebrospinal fluid, we found tumor cells. We used the cerebrospinal fluid containing tumor cells to make a specimen. Let's go to the lab to take a look now?" Song Ziming said.

"Now!" Yang Ping said impatiently.

Upon arriving at the laboratory, Yang Ping observed Ms. Windsor's tumor cell specimen under an electron microscope and discovered a surprising phenomenon—a special protein expression pattern on the surface of her tumor cells, which could enhance the infection efficiency of viral vectors.

“This is…” Yang Ping asked Song Ziming to retrieve Ms. Windsor’s gene sequencing data.

“She has a rare genetic polymorphism that alters the immune status of the tumor microenvironment, which explains why the standard treatment worked so well for her.” Yang Ping finally found a clue.

"This means we can predict a patient's response rate to the standard treatment through genetic screening," Song Ziming said excitedly. "If we can screen out patients suitable for the standard treatment in advance, we can save a lot of cost and time for customized treatment!"

Yang Ping thought even deeper: "More than that, if we can artificially induce this microenvironment state, we can not only expand the scope of standard treatments, but also improve the treatment effects and efficiency of both standard and personalized treatments."

This is a significant discovery, meaning that accessibility to K therapy can be further improved, with the standard regimen costing only 30% of the customized regimen. If the target population is expanded, the sustainability of the inclusive framework will be greatly enhanced.

Just then, the laboratory door was gently pushed open, and Huang Jiacai stood in the doorway, carrying an insulated box.

"I heard you haven't finished get off work yet." He walked in and placed the insulated box on the table. "I brought you some dumplings."

Yang Ping was somewhat surprised: "Why did you come here?"

“I just finished a video conference with the European side.” Huang Jiacai pulled up a chair and sat down. “Ms. Windsor’s foundation is moving very quickly and has already contacted the health departments of seven European countries. If all goes well, three regional treatment centers will be built in Europe within six months. These regional treatment centers will be established based on the oncology departments of top hospitals. Before the treatment centers are established, we have already planned to try limited clinical trials in hospitals with the potential to establish treatment centers.”

"That's a good thing."

“But she made a condition.” Huang Jiacai looked at Yang Ping. “She wanted each center to have a doctor you personally trained. Moreover, these doctors had to return to China regularly for retraining.”

Yang Ping understood the deeper meaning behind this request. Lillian was using this method to ensure the quality of treatment, while also ensuring the core position of Sanbo and Ruixing, allowing Sanbo and Ruixing to master the standards.

“This is not difficult. We will start training a group of seed doctors now, and then let them train doctors all over the world.”

“Yes!” Huang Jiacai opened the insulated box, which contained steaming hot dumplings. “We need to establish a complete training system, including teaching materials, videos, simulations, and assessment standards. Just like McDonald’s training of hamburger chefs, it should be standardized and replicable. That’s where Dr. Song comes in.”

This analogy made Yang Ping laugh: "Medicine is not like making hamburgers."

“But disseminating medicine requires methods,” Huang Jiacai said earnestly. “Professor Yang, I know you want to focus on research and clinical practice. But the reality is that if we don’t systematically disseminate knowledge and standards, others will spread them in imperfect or even incorrect ways. In that case, it is the patients who will be harmed.”

Yang Ping fell silent; he knew Huang Jia was right.

“What do you need us to do?” he finally asked.

“Ruixing and Sanbo have partnered to establish the Sanbo International Medical Education Institute,” Huang Jiacai said. “You will appoint the dean and set all the standards, while I will be responsible for its construction and operation. We will not only train doctors, but also nurses, technicians, and quality control personnel. We aim to establish the gold standard in this field. However, whether they are Americans, British, or Germans, they are all very anxious to begin limited clinical treatments before the treatment centers are established. We have already screened the hospitals; the problem is that they lack mentors to train them.”

"How about we select a few doctors and nurses from our department who have already completed rigorous training and go over there? Let K therapy spread as soon as possible. Mainstein and August in Germany are already urging us." Song Ziming was also very anxious.

Yang Ping nodded: "You and General Manager Huang can arrange this."

"Alright, let's discuss it later." Huang Jiacai patted Song Ziming on the shoulder.

After eating a few dumplings, Yang Ping suddenly said, "Mr. Huang, where did you buy these dumplings? They taste pretty good."

Huang Jiacai paused for a moment, then smiled: "Jiahui made this herself; she asked me to bring it over for you."

"Jia Hui's cooking skills are quite good!" Song Ziming also praised.

Huang Jiacai smiled mysteriously: "She didn't let you eat for free. She said she wants you to help her introduce a doctor or researcher from your institute."

Song Ziming was surprised that Huang Jiacai's sister was also eyeing the men at the research institute: "Conditions?"

"Male, unmarried, alive..." Huang Jiacai counted on his fingers, "Just these three conditions."

Munich, Germany, Charité Hospital, Oncology Department, 9:00 AM.

Dr. Hans Müller stood at the door of ward number five, taking a deep breath. In his hands he held a silver metal tray, in the center of which rested a 100ml vial of clear liquid. The label read "K preparation" in both Chinese and German, along with a complex batch number barcode. The liquid shimmered with a very faint pale blue fluorescence in the morning light—a characteristic optical marker of the recombinant adenovirus vector carrying the K factor.

Standing next to him was a nurse and Dr. Li Guodong, who had come from China. Dr. Li was one of the first doctors at Sanbo Hospital to receive K-therapy training. He has now been sent to Germany by Song Ziming as a training lecturer to guide the limited clinical trials here. Charité Hospital's oncology department will establish one of the three major K-therapy centers in Europe.

Besides Dr. Li Guodong, there were also Mannstein, August, and a dozen or so doctors with serious expressions.

In the ward, 42-year-old osteosarcoma patient Thomas Berg was ready. He lay half-reclined on the bed, an IV line connected to his right arm. Unlike the tragic scenes people imagine of fighting tumors, there were no operating lights, no complicated surgical instruments, only routine monitors and a slightly tired but hopeful face.

“Good morning, Mr. Berg,” Hans said in German, his voice steady. “To confirm again: have you fully understood the principles of K therapy, the potential risks of immune responses, and have signed the informed consent form?”

Thomas nodded, his voice hoarse from repeated chemotherapy and radiation therapy: "Yes, doctor, I've looked up all the information and read Mr. Rigoyan's case. This sounds much simpler than the chemotherapy and radiation therapy I've experienced..."

"The process is simple, but the monitoring behind it is not." Hans connected the medication bottle to the infusion pump, set the precise flow rate to 5 milliliters per minute, and the entire infusion process took twenty minutes. "For the next hour, doctors and nurses will continuously monitor your vital signs. You will need to stay in the hospital for observation for the next two weeks. Most importantly, every drop of medication in your body will transmit the data back to the analysis center in China in real time."

"I see!"

Thomas stared at the clear liquid slowly being injected into his vein, his expression complex. It contained genetically modified adenoviruses. Once in the bloodstream, these viruses would act like intelligent missiles, using targeted proteins modified on their surface to precisely identify and infect tumor cells with specific surface markers. Then, the virus would express the K factor gene within the tumor cells, triggering programmed apoptosis signals, causing the cancer cells to "commit suicide" while avoiding damage to normal cells.

The whole process is very complicated, but on the surface it just looks like a regular IV infusion.

With the nurse's assistance, Hans completed the procedure and stepped aside. A dozen doctors stood around with serious expressions, observing with reverence the world's most cutting-edge new method of cancer treatment. Each of them stared intently, afraid of missing a single detail.

A high-definition screen was placed on a trolley, divided into three areas: the left side showed Thomas's real-time vital signs, the middle showed the data monitoring center of the Sanbo Research Institute in Nandu, China, and the right side showed a simulated animation of the distribution of adenovirus in the body, with blue dots representing the virus converging from peripheral veins to the heart, then being pumped throughout the body, and then slowly converging towards the site of the tumor.

Yang Ping appeared in the small window in the center of the screen. It was a little past four in the afternoon in China, and he looked like he had just come out of the lab, still wearing his white coat.

"Hello everyone!" Yang Ping greeted everyone.

Ignoring their status among the doctors, August and Mainstein excitedly waved to Professor Yang first, saying, "Hello, Professor!"

"Hello!" Yang Ping responded.

"Dr. Mueller, is the patient's condition stable?"

Yang Ping asked in Chinese, but it didn't matter. All the doctors selected here had a good command of Chinese. Doctors without a certain level of Chinese proficiency were not qualified to receive K therapy, because the entire K therapy, from the papers to the training materials, was in Chinese.

"Vital signs are stable, and there has been no adverse reaction five minutes after the infusion began," Hans reported.

"Pay close attention to whether there is an acute allergic reaction in the first fifteen minutes. Although the incidence is less than one in 100,000, we should not take it lightly."

"clear."

Listening to the two doctors' conversation, Thomas suddenly spoke up in English and asked, "Professor Yang, I saw someone online saying that this virus might get out of control or mutate. Is that true?"

On the screen, Yang Ping turned to the camera, his expression calm and serious: "Mr. Berg, the adenovirus vector you received intravenously has undergone multiple genetic modifications. First, it has deleted the genes necessary for replication, making it unable to replicate and multiply in the human body; second, its targeting has been rigorously verified, recognizing only specific markers on the surface of tumor cells; third, this adenovirus itself is often used as a vector, and it is one of the safe viruses for the human body, so you don't need to worry about these issues at all."

August and Mainstein vied to translate, but Mainstein beat them to it. Yang Ping's explanation was professional and direct, without any empty words of reassurance, which put Thomas at ease.

Twenty minutes into the infusion, the last drop of fluid entered his body. Aside from feeling a slight coolness at the IV site in his arm, Thomas experienced no other unusual sensations.

"That's... over?" He was incredulous.

“The drug delivery is finished, but the treatment has just begun.” Hans looked at the monitor. “The viral vector is now searching for targets in your bloodstream. In the next 24-72 hours, the infected tumor cells will begin to die, and your immune system will be activated to clear these cellular debris. Of course, it is also possible that the immune system will be activated to attack our K biologic agent. At that time, you may feel flu-like symptoms—fever, muscle aches, and fatigue. This is a sign that the treatment is working, and we will use medication to help you control them.”

Thomas lay back on his pillow and closed his eyes.

Over the past eight months, he has experienced the devastation of diagnosis, the torment of chemotherapy, the burning pain of radiation therapy, and the despair of repeated dashed hopes. But today, the process of fighting late-stage osteosarcoma is as quiet as a routine afternoon IV drip.

Ms. Lillian Windsor, who flew in from London, rushed over and made sure she didn't miss witnessing the treatment. She has fully recovered and was there as a representative of the foundation to witness Europe's first locally received K-therapy volunteer.

"Dr. Mueller, how are you feeling?" Mrs. Windsor asked.

“It felt like completing a routine procedure, but also like participating in history,” Hans said honestly. “In the past, our methods for fighting advanced solid tumors were limited and painful. Now, a bottle of medicine only takes twenty minutes.”

“But behind this bottle of medicine is a masterpiece of genius!” Lillian looked at Yang Ping on the screen.

Everyone watched the monitoring data in silence. At the molecular level, unseen by Thomas, billions of modified viruses were carrying out a precise annihilation campaign within his body.