Chapter 1446: Chapter 1078: Cast a Wide Net, Catch More Fish Chapter 1446: Chapter 1078: Cast a Wide Net, Catch More Fish Sanbo Hospital, the Laboratory and Ruixing Company together form a complete chain. With a complete chain, developing a set of reagents targeting K Virus antibodies is not difficult, for the methods of detecting antibodies are all quite similar, and can be realized with minor modifications.

Indeed, K Virus antibodies were detected in Sisi’s body. After multiple injections of the K Virus in Sisi’s body, it engaged in numerous confrontations with the human immune system, which enabled the immune system to find a method to counter it, activating certain immunocytes and producing corresponding antibodies. The activation of immunocytes and the generation of antibodies resulted in the K Virus being killed shortly after it was injected into the body.

Increasing the injection dosage is one method, but there is a limit to this. Indiscriminately increasing the virus injection amount can easily over-activate the immune system, causing the body to collapse due to an excessive immune response.

The failure of this experiment forced Yang Ping to review his experiment once again. Scientific research is just like this, constantly advancing through trial and error, and trial and error itself is an accumulation. The data from trial and error is a great wealth for scientific research.

For example, researching airplanes requires a wind tunnel, and using a wind tunnel to blow on airplanes is a process of trial and error. It simulates the high-speed flight state of the airplane again and again, then collects the data, improves the airplane based on the feedback data, and gradually perfects the plane to satisfaction.

Nowadays, many scientific research trials and errors are completed with computer simulations, but computers will never be able to perfectly simulate real scenarios.

The K factor is the core of this experiment, and everything revolved around the K factor, while the adenovirus is merely a carrier. The combination of the K factor with the virus has a significant flaw, which is that the virus will always be a foreign pathogen. The struggle between it and the human body cannot cease. In the process of this struggle, both the immune system and the virus will constantly change; such changes are destined to make it unstable.

Even if an original virus which had already achieved certain success is used, the outcome is the same, because they belong to the same lineage with identical fundamental structures; essentially, they are still the same virus.

Oncolytic virus therapy, though also using viruses, does not use them as carriers but as markers. The virus can mark tumor cells, then cause the immune system to launch an attack.

CAR-T cell therapy uses immunocytes to directly attack tumor cells. Can the method of CAR-T cells be employed? Yang Ping pondered.

CAR-T cell therapy involves modifying the body’s own T lymphocytes and then using them as weapons to attack tumor cells. They are part of the body’s immunocytes and when introduced into the body, they are unlikely to be attacked by the immune system. Whatever amount is injected will be effective.

However, currently CAR-T has a very good effect on blood tumors, even achieving curative effects for certain tumors, but is less effective for solid tumors due to the barrier function of solid tumors, which prevents CAR-T from penetrating inside them. Later, based on CAR-T cell therapy, CAR-NK cell therapy was developed. These cells can break through the barrier of solid tumors, enter inside the tumors, and hunt down tumor cells.

CAR-T cells are T cells that have been engineered with an antigen receptor, this receptor acts like a navigation device specifically recognizing tumor cells within the body and by immunological action, releases a host of effector factors. They can efficiently kill tumor cells, thereby achieving the treatment of malignant tumors.

Now, Yang Ping has discovered that the K factor is extremely special as it possesses both navigation and attack capabilities. It is only that it cannot reach the target tumor on its own, so both its recognition and attack on tumors rely on a carrier.

What would happen if NK cells were used as the carrier? Yang Ping was becoming increasingly excited, as vast knowledge about NK cells popped into his mind.

NK cells, also known as Natural Killer Cells, are important immunocytes in the human body with formidable combat power. According to current research, a single NK cell can kill 27 tumor cells. They are the strongest, most effective immunocytes against cancer cells and viruses. NK cells constantly battle at the forefront of the body’s defense, acting without needing activation to attack enemies directly and due to their alert response and broad-spectrum efficacy, are often called the “special forces” of the immune army, the ace of the immune system.

The combat process of NK cells is very clear. When they encounter abnormal cells, they will adhere closely to these cells and release a special protein named Perforin, along with some other toxins. Perforin and toxins cooperate, so the toxins can penetrate into the abnormal cells, causing their death. In addition, NK cells will release various cytokines, which are like signals, calling more immunocytes to join the battle.

Usually, NK cells construct a solid wall for the body, swiftly detecting and killing abnormal cells, thus effectively preventing the occurrence of cancer. However, for various reasons, they too have moments of failure.

The K factor not only has the function to kill tumor cells but also can identify them. It possesses both navigation and combat capabilities. If the K factor is integrated into NK cells, then the NK cells would gain an additional weapon.

Since the human body is always wary of K Factors combined with viruses, putting all efforts to combat it, what if the K factor is integrated into NK cells? Just like incorporating antigen receptors into immunocytes, forming an artificially modified NK cell.