After the donation ceremony between Roche and Huaqing, the University of Chicago approached Huaqing University to carry out a research project on “Extending the Storage Time of Human Transplanted Organs”.
“The American Society for Organ Transplantation (ASOT) published a reference table for organ refrigeration this year, stating that under current technology, the refrigeration time limit for hearts is 3-5 hours, livers 24 hours, kidneys 48-72 hours, and bone marrow 5 years. The storage time for the heart is too short, and far from adequate for cardiovascular patients, so both the University of California and the University of Chicago are working to develop improved organ-tissue delivery devices.”
“My lab is one of the best in Asia in terms of organ transplantation. Li Zheng, I read your lab’s paper on ‘in vitro organ regeneration’, it’s a great advancement in tissue engineering, if in vitro regeneration technology and organ transplantation can be combined, it’ll be a great contribution to human medical history!”
Speaking of this, Old Meng shook with excitement.
He looked at Li Zheng with a burning gaze, his eyes filled with anticipation.
“Elder Meng, if the ‘extracorporeal regenerative organ’ technology can be further developed, I will be happy to collaborate with your laboratory to promote the combination of the two technologies.”
“Good good good.” He said three times in a row, even though he knew that it would take more than a day or two for the two technologies to develop to the ideal stage, and that perhaps by the time that day came, he would no longer be around. But in the view of the older generation of researchers, as long as there was hope, as long as there was feasibility, then it was worth it to work hard.
What was more, these two technologies were already completely feasible in terms of theoretical deduction, and it was only a matter of time before a technological breakthrough was made and his ideal stage was reached.
In the next two months, apart from remotely directing the relevant projects of Li Zheng’s laboratory, Li Zheng put more effort into pushing international d.rugs to enter the Chinese market as soon as possible.
Nowadays, Li Zheng had good cooperative relationships with Roche, Pfizer, Merck Sharp & Dohme, and other international pharmaceutical companies, and with his mediation, it wasn’t impossible for advanced dr.ugs to enter the Chinese market earlier.
“Li Zheng, isn’t it a bit hasty for you to start this matter now?” Zhao Depei was full of admiration for this newcomer in the biology sector, but even so, he was still a bit stunned when he heard what Li Zheng wanted to do.
This young man was really daring!
“These are things that are not only academic, but also related to policy. To synchronize the domestic d.rug market with the international dr.ug market, not only do we need people to be willing to come in, but more importantly, we need to be willing to let them in.” Zhao Depei carefully weighed his words, he didn’t want to discourage young people, especially this kind of young person who had a heart for their country.
“Principal, if you don’t do something, how do you know it’s impossible? Huaqing and Yan University are the highest academic institutions in China, many leaders come from these two universities, policies are also made by people, as long as they are people, they can be adapted and modified, isn’t it?”
“We scholars spend half of our lives in the lab, but the d.rugs we develop can benefit foreigners, while the dr.ugs developed by foreigners can’t benefit our people, is that fair?”
Zhao Depei’s brows furrowed tightly as he subconsciously rubbed his index finger and thumb, showing that he was seriously deliberating.
“Li Zheng ah …… let me think again.”
Understanding Zhao Depei’s concerns, Li Zheng rubbed his brow and took out a piece of white paper from his pants pocket, which was pitted at the edges and had obviously been torn off randomly by its owner.
Li Zheng handed the white paper to Zhao Depei, ”This is the schedule of my Laboratory’s next projects, perhaps you, Principal, would be interested. Because of patent reasons, I will still put these projects under the name of Li Zheng Laboratory and use the channels of international pharmaceutical companies to promote them to various countries as soon as possible, I don’t wish that the medicines that I have worked hard to develop will benefit the people of the world but exclude my compatriots alone.”
Zhao Depei was stunned, he took the white paper and unfolded it, then stood up violently, “These d.rugs …… you, you have certainty.” His voice was slightly trembling.
No need for all of them, as long as one of them could be realized, it was enough to set off a medical revolution, anticancer d.rugs, this …… was a problem that the whole world was trying to overcome, Li Zheng Laboratory, how was it possible?
But without the need for anti-cancer drugs, just these antibiotics, or vaccines, would be enough to drive the medical world crazy.
“Principal, this is the schedule of Li Zheng Laboratory, and also the schedule of the world’s biology community, it’s only a matter of time before these medicines are released, if they are released, but our masses can’t enjoy them, can we scholars have peace of mind?”
Zhao Depei looked deeply at Li Zheng, “You’re amazing, you’ve convinced me. I will work on it, but it will be a long process.”
“I know.” The corners of Li Zheng’s mouth hooked up slightly, in his last life, it wasn’t until 2018 that the country . Only then did the country drastically reduce or waive the tariffs on anticancer dr.ugs and pay attention to the issue of synchronizing the international dr.ug market with the domestic dr.ug market, in this life, he had already made a great progress by putting this issue in the open thirty years earlier.
Zhao Depei was true to his word, and since he had promised to do so, he would endeavor to do so. Over the course of these two months, the two had tried to devote almost all of their energies to this matter.
Thus, when they heard that Old Meng had been hospitalized due to cardiovascular disease, they were both taken aback.
“When did this happen? Why didn’t anyone inform me?” Zhao Depei yelled at the phone.
“It’s been three days, coronary artery atherosclerosis, the situation is very bleak.” Chen Anbang’s voice was low and grave.
Zhao Depei hung up the phone heavily, “Li Zheng ah, I have to go to the hospital to see Old Meng.”
“I’ll go with you.” Li Zheng’s face was also a bit gloomy.
Old Meng was a scholar he admired, and when he came to Huaqing in his last life, Old Meng had already passed away, and when he thought about the time of his teacher’s death that Chen Anbang had described to him back then, it seemed to be ……1985.
His heart contracted violently, two months ago, Old Meng was still talking to him in the spirit of “extending the storage time of human organs for transplantation” technology …….
When the two drove to the hospital, Old Meng was already pushed into the intensive care unit.
Chen Anbang and a few people from Old Meng’s lab stood at the door, looking sad.
Mrs. Meng had died three years ago, and the two hadn’t left any heirs, so he was completely alone, and had made the lab the center of his entire life.
“Teacher has always had angina but hasn’t been paying attention to it because of the busy program, and the coronary angiogram showed a stenosis at the left anterior descending branch before the first diagonal ventricular artery divides off, and the blood can’t flow properly. The doctor said it’s about three months away.”
There was silence in the hospital corridor.
Li Zheng didn’t like this kind of life-and-death atmosphere, he never did.
Chen Anbang wiped his reddened eyes, “Headmaster, Li Zheng, since you’re here, go and take a look at teacher. Teacher is in good spirits now.”
Li Zheng and Zhao Depei nodded and followed Chen Anbang into the hospital room.
As a national treasure scientist, Old Meng was in an intensive care ward. The room of about thirty square meters had a separate bathroom and a small television.
The sunlight fell on the white hospital bed through the window, Li Zheng’s heart felt sour when he saw Old Meng at this moment, there was barely a trace of black hair on his head, and he seemed to have aged a few years at once, the vicissitudes of the elderly diffused out from his body, giving people a feeling of the sun setting.
“Teacher, the principal and Li Zheng have come to see you.” Chen Anbang spoke gently.
Old Meng slowly turned his head at the sound of his words, and when he saw the two, a hint of a smile appeared on his face.
“You guys are here, sit.”
The two responded by sitting down on the stool in front of the hospital bed.
“Little Zhao ah, the project with Chicago, I’m afraid I can’t do it anymore. But Huaqing has little experience in participating in international projects, so this opportunity can’t just be given up. Anbang has been following me for a long time, and I want him to do this project for me.”
Zhao Depei’s eyes reddened as he heard Old Meng’s words as if he was explaining his last words, his voice slightly trembled, “Okay.”
“What’s the point of crying. It’s just that the person in charge has changed, I don’t know if the Chicago side will have any opinions.” Old Meng mumbled to himself, then looked up at Chen Anbang, “Anbang ah, there are still three months, in these three months I will take you to do the project and meet the people from the University of Chicago, you have to grasp an opportunity for yourself.”
As Old Meng spoke about the project, his spirit was much better, and a trace of redness appeared on his pale cheeks.
“Teacher! You need to rest now!” He naturally heard the meaning in Old Meng’s words, in the last three months of his life, he actually planned to continue participating in the experiment.
“You.” Old Meng waved his hand, “These three months shouldn’t be wasted lying in bed, naturally it would be better to be in the lab, even if I die in the lab, I am still happy!”
The eyes of almost everyone present, except for Li Zheng, began to moisten a little.
Emotions were very easily infected, and when Old Meng saw that the crowd was like this, he couldn’t help but show a hint of sadness as well.
As soon as Li Zheng entered the hospital room, he didn’t go to greet Old Meng, but rather picked up his reports from the nightstand next to the hospital bed and carefully examined them.
Medicine didn’t discriminate, and although Li Zheng’s clinical ability wasn’t as good as that of a frontline doctor, his theoretical knowledge was very rich. Coronary artery stenosis, in the mid-eighties in China, was almost a terminal disease that couldn’t be cured, but Li Zheng remembered that in the world, there were still means of treatment.
In September 1977, Gruszig used a balloon catheter to dilate a patient’s narrowed coronary arteries, the world’s first coronary angioplasty.
The new technique was published in literature in the Medical Journal in 1978.
“Coronary angioplasty!” Li Zheng suddenly spoke up, “PTCA technology is not yet fully mature, but it has been in the clinic for many years, so why don’t we give it a try?”