godfather of surgery

Chapter 1320 Accompanying My Son to Get Vaccinated
It's almost midnight at Charité Medical School in Berlin.

Professor Mannstein's laboratory was still lit up. He had been living, eating, and sleeping in the lab for over a month. His white lab coat was wrinkled, and his glasses were pushed up to his forehead, but the light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Data scrolled across the screen in front of them: a complete dataset from over four hundred Lynch syndrome volunteers across twenty-seven research centers worldwide. This was a familiar approach that Yang Ping's team had developed since the launch of their "new project," and also the largest-scale verification of the system regulation theory.

This laboratory program could confirm that K therapy is not only effective in treating tumors, but theoretically it can target a wider range of diseases, providing the strongest evidence for the systems regulation hypothesis.

"incredible……"

Mannstein muttered to himself as he verified a hypothesis: if the theory of systemic regulation is correct, then the physiological indicators of volunteers receiving regulatory intervention should exhibit a specific regression homeostatic pattern, not a change in a single indicator, but a dynamic trajectory of multiple indicators working together.

For example, in an effective regulatory response: the shrinkage of colonic adenomas should be synchronous with the reduction of TIM expression heterogeneity; the decrease in circulating tumor DNA should lag behind the recalibration of immune cell function; the improvement in gut microbiome diversity should precede the relief of clinical symptoms, and all these changes should conform to some predictable temporal logic.

To this end, Mainstein had his team develop a complex algorithm to test this hypothesis.

The results are now displayed on the screen.

The first set of charts shows Elena's data. Her various indicators almost perfectly matched the predicted curve. The correlation coefficient between adenoma shrinkage and TIM stability improvement was as high as 0.92. The peak of immune activation appeared in the first month, followed by a continuous decline in ctDNA. It was like a carefully choreographed symphony, with each instrument entering at the right time.

“A perfect case, but probably an isolated one,” Mainstein told himself.

He pulled up the data from the second group, the third group... the tenth group... the hundredth group.

The curves on the screen began to show diversity; some patients responded faster, others slower; some fluctuated on a certain indicator, but the overall trend was consistent. Mainstein's algorithm automatically classified these trajectories, identifying four main response patterns.

He then performed correlation analysis on these response patterns with factors such as the patient's genotype, epitype, and microbiome characteristics.

As a result, he held his breath.

"found it……"

A significant correlation matrix pops up on the screen: patients carrying specific TIM variants tend to exhibit a slow, gradual response pattern; individuals with gut microbiota rich in a certain Clostridium species experience earlier immune recalibration…

This is not only evidence of the treatment's effectiveness, but also proof of the theory's predictive power. The systemic regulation hypothesis not only explains "why it works," but also predicts "who it works more for" and "how it works."

This is no longer a hypothesis, but a theory verified by rigorous scientific experiments.

Mannstein leaned back in his chair, unable to calm down for a long time.

To be honest, he used to have reservations about Yang Ping's theories—they were too holistic, too philosophical, and too difficult to verify. But these data changed everything. He witnessed firsthand that when medical intervention shifted from "attacking specific targets" to "regulating the entire system," what happened was not vague improvement, but a precise, predictable, and interpretable systemic restructuring.

Even more impressive is the evidence across diseases. Yang Ping's team recently extended their regulatory strategy from precancerous lesions to the field of autoimmune diseases. A phase I trial for systemic lupus erythematosus showed that low-dose specific factor K intervention reduced disease activity by more than 50% in 60% of participants within one month, without the serious side effects of traditional immunosuppressants.

“This is not a coincidence, not a placebo effect,” Mainstein told himself. “This is evidence that a new medical paradigm is emerging.”

He glanced at the time: one in the morning. Outside the window, Berlin was silent, but Mannstein's heart was in turmoil.

He opened his email and began drafting a long letter.

Recipient: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Selection Committee.

……

Two weeks later, in Stockholm, at the Karolinska Institute.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine selection committee is holding a closed-door meeting. Five committee members are sitting around a long oak table, on which are scattered thick stacks of nomination materials.

Committee Chair Professor Anna Carlsen adjusted her glasses: "Today we are discussing a special nomination, submitted by Professor Mainstein of Charité University Hospital in Germany, nominating Chinese scientist Yang Ping for proposing and verifying the theory of human system regulation, which has ushered in a new era of medical paradigm shift."

An older committee member frowned: "He has already won the Nobel Prize for his theory of spatially guided genes; this is his second nomination."

“Yes, that’s right!” Professor Carlson nodded.

“Systemic regulation? It sounds like a new packaging for integrative or alternative medicine. We need to be careful; the Nobel Prize shouldn’t be swayed by trends,” another committee member asked.

“That’s what I thought at first too,” Professor Carlson said, turning on the projector. “But please take a look at these data.”

The screen displays a summary of evidence compiled by Mannstein: Preventive intervention for Lynch syndrome: 421 cases, three-month follow-up, 89% reduction in cancer rate (compared to historical controls); Phase I trial of systemic lupus erythematosus: 47 cases, average decrease in disease activity of 58%...

“More importantly,” Professor Carlson switched the chart, “there are seventeen papers from Nature, Science, and Cell journals, from different teams around the world, independently validating the core predictions of the system regulation theory. Last quarter, the New England Journal of Medicine’s editorial was titled ‘A Shift in the Medical Model: From Confrontation to Regulation.’”

"His experiments have been replicated by different people..."

The meeting room fell silent as the committee members flipped through the materials, their faces gradually revealing expressions of disbelief.

“These data… are astonishing,” said a committee member who is an immunologist. “If verified, it means that our entire approach to chronic diseases needs to change, not just suppressing symptoms, but restoring the system’s self-regulating ability.”

“But the theory is still very young,” another committee member cautioned. “There is only three months of follow-up data, and long-term safety data are insufficient. Moreover, the theory itself has a philosophical aspect and is not as clear as traditional molecular mechanisms.”

Professor Carlson nodded: “That is precisely the point of contention. But please recall the paradigm shifts in medical history, from the humoral theory to the bacterial theory, from anatomy to molecular biology. At the beginning of each shift, the new theory was considered ‘too vague’ and ‘unscientific.’ But ultimately, it was these fundamental conceptual changes that propelled medicine forward.”

"Moreover, many revolutionary theories were first proposed as hypotheses. For example, Professor Yang Ping's hypothesis about the double helix structure of DNA has been verified. It can be said that it is no longer a hypothesis, but can already be regarded as a theory."

She pulled up the last chart: the publication trend of keywords such as "systems medicine," "regulation theory," and "holistic medicine" in global medical journals. The curve had surged from almost zero five years ago to over three thousand articles now.

"A consensus is forming in the academic community. Professor Yang Ping's work is not an isolated breakthrough, but rather it has ignited a new field of research." The discussion lasted for three hours, with both supporters and opponents expressing strong opinions.

In conclusion, Professor Carlson stated: "According to procedure, we need to conduct a more in-depth investigation. I suggest forming a special team to visit the Sanbo Institute, interview Professor Yang Ping and his team, and review the raw data. Simultaneously, we should invite twenty experts from relevant fields worldwide to conduct an independent evaluation."

"What if the verification passes?" someone asked.

“Then,” Professor Carlson said slowly, “we may be witnessing a historic moment where the Nobel Prize not only rewards a specific discovery, but also the birth of a new way of thinking about medicine. This will be the first time in more than a hundred years since the award was established that it has recognized a theoretical framework rather than just a technological breakthrough.”

After the meeting, the committee members left with varying expressions.

The news could not be kept completely secret, and that afternoon, rumors began to circulate in Stockholm's academic circles: "This year's Nobel Prize may have some earth-shattering news."

……

Southern Metropolis Daily, Sanbo Research Institute.

Tang Shun was caught in a sweet dilemma: the research institute was developing too fast, there wasn't enough space, and the new building hadn't been built yet.

"Director Tang, Dr. Chu Xiaoxiao's team has requested two more biosafety cabinets. Their vaccine enhancer research requires processing more clinical samples." Administrative assistant Xiao Chen followed behind him, carrying a folder.

“The bioinformatics group is requesting a server upgrade; their multi-omics database has already reached 5PB,” another assistant caught up.

"Also, a delegation from the US NIH is visiting this afternoon to discuss international cooperation..."

Tang Shun raised his hand: "One at a time. Let's solve the space problem first. Hasn't the hospital's administrative building been vacant for a long time? I'll ask Dean Xia for another floor, which the research institute can temporarily borrow from the hospital. The server upgrade is approved, but we need to negotiate the price. The NIH delegation... I need to ask Professor Yang, just a moment."

"I just saw Professor Yang in his office. Wait for me a moment, I'll go ask him."

"Never mind, I'll just make the call."

Tang Shun picked up his phone and, after a few minutes of talking, shook his head helplessly: "The professor is very busy this afternoon and can't spare the time. He and Mrs. Yang are taking Xiaoshu to get vaccinated. I can take care of the delegation myself."

Xiaoshu is the nickname of Yang Ping's son.

"Get vaccinated?" Assistant Chen was taken aback.

“Yes, it’s the routine vaccination for one-year-olds, scheduled for this afternoon.” Tang Shun glanced at his watch. “The professor was worried that Mrs. Yang might be overwhelmed taking Xiaoshu alone, so he said he had to go and help.”

Assistant Chen looked puzzled. Professor Yang was probably the most important medical scientist of our time, and at this moment he was most concerned about his son's vaccination records and whether he would cry.

……

Yang Ping checked the time. He was about to go home after get off work. He and Xiao Su were going to take their son to get vaccinated in the afternoon. As he passed by the public office area, he heard Zhang Wei arguing with Wang Cheng.

"I told you long ago, the data from these commercial wristbands is completely unreliable!" Zhang Wei's voice was louder than usual, but he was still wearing the blue light wristband on his wrist. "Look at this heart rate monitoring, the error is ±10 beats per minute!"

Wang Cheng crossed his arms and said, "Hey, Zhang Bo, you've changed your ways? Weren't you always bragging about your 90 points?"

Zhang Bo blushed, his neck stiffening: "That...that was a strategic use! I recharged to infiltrate behind enemy lines and collect evidence! Look, here's a comparison of my bracelet data from the past month with the data from the medical-grade ECG patch I'm wearing..."

He pulled up the charts on his laptop and, sure enough, it showed that the data from the commercial wristband fluctuated greatly, while the data from the medical device was smooth and stable.

“I’ve already collected comparative data from five mainstream products,” Zhang Wei said in a low voice, but his tone couldn’t hide his smugness. “Once my analysis report comes out, it’ll be a real headache for those companies. Don’t they like to ride the wave of systems medicine? I’ll show them what real, professional analysis from a PhD looks like!”

Yang Ping listened, inwardly chuckling. He knew Zhang Wei's pride; even though he'd been tricked, he insisted on portraying himself as an undercover investigator. But this was fine too; at least it spurred him to conduct a more thorough comparative study.

At this moment, Chu Xiaoxiao rushed out of the laboratory. This young PhD graduate was wearing a sweatshirt with a cartoon antibody pattern printed on it, her ponytail was tied high, and she was waving a report in her hand.

"Professor!" Chu Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up, her voice trembling with excitement, "We've done another iteration on the vaccine enhancer, look at the data—"

Yang Ping took the report, quickly glanced at it, and said, "Very good. Continue the research and iteration to make the enhancer more and more optimized."

"Yes!" Chu Xiaoxiao nodded excitedly.

"Well done, Xiaoxiao." Yang Ping praised sincerely. "Organize the data and prepare to submit it to Nature Immunology. This discovery deserves to be seen by the world. We need to allocate our papers properly. Submit some core papers to our own journals, and others to other top journals. This will increase the visibility of our research and give us a voice. A voice is very important."

"They're already writing!" Chu Xiaoxiao clenched her fist. "The other four PhDs are also making progress. We've agreed to hold a joint meeting next week to consolidate their findings!"

Yang Ping continued walking forward and almost bumped into Lu Xiaolu at the corner of the corridor. Lu Xiaolu was carrying a stack of printed papers and reading them as he walked.

"Xiao Lu, watch the road."

"Professor! Look at this newly published paper in Cell!" Lu Xiaolu excitedly handed over a paper. "The Cambridge team independently replicated our findings on the coupling of TIM and cellular metabolism, and they expanded on that, discovering that under hypoxic conditions, the TIM system actively adjusts the cell's identity state to adapt to the environment!"

Yang Ping glanced at the abstract and smiled, "Good, this shows that the theory is being widely accepted. Send an email to the Cambridge team and invite them to participate in next month's webinar on systems medicine."

"It's already been sent! They approved it instantly!"

Sanbo Research is now very enthusiastic about webinars. With the internet so developed now, webinars can be held anytime, and they can achieve the same effect as face-to-face meetings without the need for face-to-face interaction.

(End of this chapter)