godfather of surgery

Chapter 1224 "Penicillin" in Cancer Treatment

Yang Ping asked a rather novel question. He wasn't trying to embarrass his old classmate, but rather to test his true abilities. However, He Zijian was able to answer it very well, which shows that He Zijian is still the same as before, spending most of his time reading and studying.

Yang Ping was very satisfied with He Zijian. Director Wan of the Personnel Department noticed all of this. In fact, no matter where you are, the interpersonal relationships in our traditional culture are everywhere, it's just a matter of degree.

The doctoral candidates who were interviewed later were all quite good. The overall quality of this cohort was indeed very high. The doctoral candidate who was interviewed next was named Tao Tianlei, who was the top science student in Beijing that year. Therefore, he was arrogant and even looked down on others.

He didn't show the humility of the others when he met the interviewer; his eyes revealed a disdainful expression. In fact, Yang Ping wasn't much older than them. He started by saying, "Before the interview, I hope I can offer some suggestions to the teachers regarding K-therapy. I wonder if that's possible?"

Of course, he also had the freedom to speak. Song Ziming said, "Go ahead and say it."

When Tao Tianlei spoke, his gaze did not fall on Song Ziming at all, but remained fixed on Yang Ping. He was here for an interview and to showcase his talent.

He did his homework for this interview, carefully studying all the papers published by Yang Ping's team. He then discovered many shortcomings in the research topic, but he was absolutely confident in solving these problems. He felt that this team was nothing special and firmly believed that the world is made up of makeshift teams.

"Using adenovirus as a vector is clearly not a wise choice; it's an outdated way of thinking. In fact, we can use factor K to encapsulate biological components, using this disguised encapsulation to deceive the human immune system, and then let it circulate throughout the body via the bloodstream. Compared to modifying with adenovirus, this approach is simpler and more direct," Tao Tianlei said confidently.

After listening attentively, Tang Shun realized that he had conducted in-depth research on K therapy and was thinking about various methods, but his comprehension was clearly not up to par and he lacked a true understanding of the relevant knowledge. His level of understanding was currently at a relatively low level, and it could be said that he had not yet grasped the basics of this topic.

"I hope Professor Yang can answer my questions personally. I don't understand why we chose the adenovirus vector method. Adenovirus is not suitable as a vector; it's only suitable as a vector for oncolytic virus therapy. These two approaches are completely different." Tao Tianlei also prepared a proposal outlining his strategic vision for the entire experimental project. He planned to submit the proposal to Professor Yang later, confident that he could gain Professor Yang's appreciation through this method.

"Let me answer this," Tang Shun said, because the question was too superficial, and as the director of the laboratory, he felt it would be inappropriate for Professor Yang to answer it personally.

Tao Tianlei did not deny Tang Shun's statement. Tang Shun said, "Actually, you may have just graduated and do not know much about the field of tumor treatment. It's not just our K factor, but also various drugs and biologics for treating tumors. The biggest challenge is not the drug itself, but how to deliver the drug precisely to tumor cells. What you know is what you have seen in papers, but there are many things that Western papers do not cover. We have gone through countless attempts to figure out how to deliver the drug. What you said about simply wrapping the factor is completely unworkable. What to wrap it with? When to unwrap it? How to ensure that the tumor cells are identified while it is wrapped? The laboratory environment in vitro is completely different from the human body environment."

Tang Shun then presented several of the latest theories and methods, which were not yet available in academic papers, and Tao Tianlei couldn't understand what Tang Shun was saying at all.

When a newcomer talks about strategic technology, it's not that they're particularly impressive, but rather that they haven't truly grasped the subject matter. They only have a superficial understanding of it, much like a middle school student who, after finishing math, thinks math is nothing special and so simple, wondering why some problems take generations of mathematicians to solve.

Take the Pythagorean theorem, for example. It's so simple, why do mathematicians take so long to figure it out? He understood it in just a few minutes.

Tao Tianlei is now in this situation. He doesn't know that the readily available knowledge about this topic that he sees in the paper is the result of the experimental team's painstaking thinking and experimentation.

It's like an engineer disassembling an airplane engine and showing it to another engineer. After looking at all the materials, the other engineer, who's a bit of a idiot, says that the materials are actually very simple; you just need to replace a few materials with this one, and that's it. It's that simple.

He had no idea how long others had researched and how much effort they had put into combining these materials. If they hadn't told him, he might never have been able to figure it out. The hidden knowledge behind scientific research results is far more than what you see in academic papers.

"This is my proposal, take a look." Tao Tianlei took out his proposal, and Tang Shun reached out to take it. Tao Tianlei bypassed him and handed the proposal to Yang Ping.

To show respect for the newcomer, Yang Ping patiently took a look at the package. The so-called strategic technology concept was actually very naive and had not even scratched the surface of the subject.

"I hope that after I come here, I can directly lead the research group and have the power to reorganize my own research funds and select personnel," Tao Tianlei said confidently. If he came here just to be an ordinary doctor or researcher, he would definitely not do it. A genius like him must be given important responsibilities. He did not receive important responsibilities from his mentors and schools in his previous school. He came to Sanbo Hospital now in order to be given important responsibilities.

Tang Shun smiled slightly: "Have you ever had experience leading large-scale research projects?"

Tao Tianlei was taken aback: "I didn't expect you to also have a seniority system, where experience is required to lead a project? If that's the case, will I never be able to lead a project directly? Without experience, you can't lead a project, and without leading a project, you can't demonstrate your abilities, which creates a vicious cycle."

"What I mean is, if you feel you have enough ability, you can try participating in projects first. Show your talent in the process of participating in projects. Your talent must be seen by others so that you can lead large-scale projects." Tang Shun patiently told him that it is normal for a newcomer to be proud and arrogant. You can't compete with him. You should be more tolerant. Why would an adult argue with a child?

"No, to be honest, I participated in my supervisor's major research project, and many of my suggestions were rejected by him. To be honest, if he had adopted my suggestions, they would have produced groundbreaking results. Unfortunately, he didn't recognize their value. If I came here, it would be the same; I would easily be neglected, and my talents would not be able to be fully utilized." Tao Tianlei was very arrogant. Being the top science student didn't come for nothing; he certainly had the ability. However, that was only exam-taking ability and couldn't be completely equated with scientific research and innovation.

Tang Shun actually knew his mentor. This professor had a good reputation in the industry and was a highly respected professor. Moreover, he was very supportive of newcomers and would not suppress or neglect him.

“Tao Tianlei, if you have the opportunity to come here, you will definitely have to start as a regular researcher. Dr. Tang is different from you. He has already shown extraordinary talent during his studies abroad and has achieved visible research results. If you are truly a gem, please believe in yourself. You will definitely shine here.” Yang Ping didn’t want to directly call his proposal rubbish and hurt his self-esteem in public. Everyone has such moments of confusion.

"Let's have a formal interview. At least that way we can get to know your basic information face-to-face," Yang Ping suggested. Although Tao Tianlei's arrogant temperament was not very likable, Yang Ping was still willing to give him a chance to showcase his talent.

However, Tao Tianlei was not happy with Yang Ping's suggestion. He felt that it was a sign of disrespect for talent to treat someone as talented as him as others. Subsequently, Tang Shun and Song Ziming asked him a few questions, and his answers were clearly somewhat far-fetched, showing a lack of understanding of the knowledge behind the questions. Compared with other well-performing doctoral students, he was still lacking and did not demonstrate the level expected of a former top science student.

These questions might not be his forte, so Yang Ping deliberately extended the interview time, asking him several other questions, even directly asking him which area of ​​knowledge he knew best, and then asking him about his areas of expertise. However, his performance was still unsatisfactory, and his answers to the questions were dishonest. He always tried to use high-sounding but empty words to show off his abilities, but there was nothing substantial to it.

Although you can't judge a person's skill level in just a few tens of minutes, you can at least get a basic understanding. Yang Ping asked the others, "Do you have any questions for Dr. Tao?"

Tang Shun no longer wanted to ask. Tang Shun saw through Tao Tianlei very clearly. You could say he lacked ability, but he was only half-baked. He always felt that others were suppressing him at every turn. He didn't think he was incapable because he wasn't good enough, but because the whole world was suppressing him, bullying him, and not giving him a chance. That's what he meant.

Song Ziming didn't want to ask any more questions, and they shook their heads: "We have no more questions."

Why ask any more questions? When he encounters a problem he doesn't understand, he should just admit that he doesn't know the relevant knowledge, like other students do. Instead, he insists on using a bunch of high-sounding but empty terms to show off his level. Moreover, he constantly implies that his supervisor is suppressing him and not letting him learn about this kind of knowledge. His supervisor has already been very kind to let him graduate smoothly.

Tao Tianlei was still very uncomfortable. He felt that the Sanbo Research Institute was just so-so. It was a pity that Professor Yang did not value his good suggestions. He always felt that his talents were not being recognized.

The subsequent interviews were relatively quick, with each person receiving half an hour. There was a short break at noon, and the interviews continued in the afternoon until the evening, taking a whole day to complete.

Among these dozen or so people, two or three are indeed quite qualified. Let's discuss it and temporarily keep them in mind, and then make a full comparison after the next few rounds of interviews.

Of course, Tao Tianlei is not among the names that have been circled.
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The following day, Yang Ping retrieved the laboratory's research data on K therapy, as he needed to review the research on this topic.

Whether it's surgery or scientific research, he has a habit of reviewing and reflecting on his experiences.

The discovery of factor K was quite unexpected, similar to the discovery of penicillin. After penicillin appeared, a new world of antibiotics was opened up, and a large number of antibiotics were developed based on the structure-function principle of penicillin.

In Yang Ping's eyes, Factor K is the penicillin of cancer treatment, and he will usher in a new era of cancer treatment.

Before the advent of penicillin, the treatment of bacterial infectious diseases was left to chance, relying entirely on the body's own immune system to gamble on luck. Bacterial pneumonia could take the lives of many people.

The advent of penicillin made the treatment of bacterial infections possible, ushering in a new era for medicine. Penicillin and antibiotics are a cornerstone of modern medicine, and this assessment is entirely justified.

Yang Ping is confident that based on the accidental discovery of factor K, he can develop other tumor-killing factors; it's only a matter of time.

Fleming observed inhibition zones in Staphylococcus aureus cultures contaminated with Penicillium in his laboratory, leading him to hypothesize that Penicillium secretions possessed antibacterial properties. Following this line of thought, he discovered penicillin, the world's first antibiotic.

Yang Ping also discovered the K factor by accident. His laboratory extracted a lot of Sisi's tumor cells for research. One day, these tumor cells suddenly died in large numbers. After careful analysis and comparison, he found an extra substance in them, which he named the K factor. After purifying this factor, he put it together with the tumor cells. Sure enough, the death of the tumor cells was replicated.

Therefore, Yang Ping focused his efforts on studying the mechanism by which factor K kills tumor cells. Seeing what it is is one thing, but figuring out why it is another, and the latter is much more difficult.

Research has revealed that these K factors exhibit a strong affinity for Sisi's tumor cells. They can accurately identify these tumor cells, attach to their cell membranes, penetrate the cell membranes, and parasitize inside the tumor cells. During this parasitic process, they release a special substance that can initiate the tumor cells' apoptosis program, thereby killing the tumor cells.

However, these substances only work in an in vitro laboratory environment. If they are directly introduced into the human body, they cannot adapt to the internal environment and cannot play a role at all.

In order to successfully introduce them into the human body, Yang Ping came up with many other methods. He used adenovirus as a vector to combine this factor with the adenovirus to form a protein structure with the ability to divide.

Part of this new substance can fully adapt to the human body's internal environment and can be transported into the tumor via the bloodstream, where it seeks out and kills tumor cells. However, due to various limitations, not many K viruses can pass through the immune system's defenses; most die en route, and only a very small number reach their destination.

Moreover, this K virus can trigger an immune response in the human body, which is extremely unstable and can sometimes be so strong that it can lead to death.

Increasing the success rate and reducing the immune response became problems that Yang Ping needed to solve. According to medical practice, this would take more than ten years to solve. However, Yang Ping made full use of the time advantage of the system space and solved these problems in a short period of time. This is also the confidence he had to treat Sisi directly.

Although there are still many uncertainties and extremely high risks, he does not gamble blindly, but rather has a certain success rate. He never does anything recklessly.

Now, a new problem faces Ping: the need to develop more Factor K and to build a large-scale system for Factor K therapy.

Just like penicillin, a vast antibiotic system was built from it, and other different types of antibiotics were also derived.