Chapter 60: The First Product (1)
After the meeting ended, Young-Joon went to the lab instead of his office.
“Do we have Streptococcus pyogenes by chance?” asked Doctor Lee Ju-Chan when Young-Joon ran into him at the lab entrance.
“I’m not sure. I think you’re going to have to ask the microbes team for that.”
Young-Joon called Choi Myung-Joon right away.
“Hello. Do we have any strains of Streptococcus pyogenes stored in the lab?”
—We don’t have any of that in the building. We only have beneficial bacteria and a few types of pathogens.
Choi Myung-Joon replied.
Streptococcus pyogenes was a type of bacteria that caused necrotizing fasciitis. A-Bio didn’t have this bacteria as they had never studied the diseases related to this bacteria before, but not A-Gen; as they had a huge resource for research, there were numerous types of organisms kept at their company.
Young-Joon contacted the Research Support Department and requested for Streptococcus pyogenes. He received the bacteria that evening, and it was shipped in the form of colonies in a solid culture medium. He also ordered some short strands of DNA, and those were shipped along with the bacteria as well. Using these, Young-Joon obtained a DNA copy of one of the Streptococcus pyogenes genes.
[Cas9]
Young-Joon had named this great gene; it meant CRISPR associated protein 9.
From decades ago, there were reports about an unknown DNA sequence called CRISPR—clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats—in bacteria. There were also frequent references to the biomaterials of various species associated with it. However, there was yet to be a clear explanation as to what CRISPR was.
However, Rosaline showed Young-Joon what no one knew.
—Cas9 is a type of genetic scissor that can cut exactly at the position you want. It is like the bacteria’s immune system that they use to remove foreign genetic material.
Young-Joon’s hands trembled as he thought about the potential Cas9 held.
‘It can cut DNA exactly at the position I want?’
It was an item as revolutionary as induced pluripotent stem cells. Cutting DNA with genetic scissors was completely different than using scissors for paper crafts because DNA molecules were so miniscule that it was difficult to see even under a microscope. How would someone be able to cut that with handheld scissors? It was impossible.
Cutting up DNA actually referred to a set of chemical reactions; the DNA strand would be cut when it was put in solution with genetic scissors at 37?C, but as it was being cut indirectly, it was very difficult to cut the DNA at a certain location.
The method normally used was to decode the entire DNA sequence beforehand and find a unique sequence that only existed at one single location. Then, they would use genetic scissors that only recognized that one sequence to cut only at that location. This was similar to a program that found a certain word in a book and corrected it; one would find one unique word that was at a certain location, and then run a program to recognize and correct it.
Of course, the designing process for this kind of work was extremely particular, and unfortunately, it would sometimes be impossible to manipulate it at all if they couldn’t find a unique sequence.
Still, many scientists have crafted small DNA fragments with this technology. Then, could one manipulate human DNA with this?
In terms of characters, there were about three billion letters of DNA in a single human cell. That was about fifteen thousand books with two hundred pages each. The amount of information wasn’t just a single book, but a library. It would be impossible for a scientist to decode all that, but there was also no way for them to find a word that only existed once in the entire set of books. As such, putting genetic scissors with a human cell would just break the DNA into fragments since there would be several unique structures that the scissors would recognize. Those fragmented DNA pieces were useless and the cell would die as well. As such, it was near impossible to manipulate a certain gene in human cells.
—But you can set the location of the strand to be cut by Cas9. Design a long target to specify the desired location and put it in with Cas9. Then, only that location will be cut.
Unlike existing genetic scissors that had a predetermined DNA structure to recognize, a person could determine the DNA structure Cas9 should recognize. For example, one would get a huge number of results if they searched up “Liu Bei” in a library database. But if they searched up “Liu Bei shared drinks with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, became sworn brothers, and took an oath to die at the same day and time”? Only books about the Three Kingdoms would come up out of the fifteen thousand books, and the search results would only contain the part about the Oath of the Peach Garden. The scientist could program Cas9 to find that sentence and correct it.
—As such, you are able to cut exactly at one desired location.
Theoretically, any location out of the three billion strings of letters could be precisely targeted.
‘This isn’t just for manipulating CCR5.’
Young-Joon felt chills run down his spine. If iPSC was a technology based on regenerative medicine, this was a technology based on gene therapy.
Every type of genetic condition occurred because of a mutation in a gene. If they could precisely recognize and only cut the gene that was broken due to a mutation and repair it by adding a new gene? Theoretically, all genetic conditions could be cured. Although, they still had a long way to go as it was just a base technology.
“Doctor Lee, do you have the stem cells that you’re going to differentiate into bone marrow?” asked Young-Joon, who went to the bone marrow regeneration team’s lab.
“Yes, we are growing them right now.”
“Could you give me some?” Young-Joon said. “I am going to manipulate CCR5.”
* * *
At a luxurious bar in Basel, Switzerland, a middle-aged man was waiting for someone with an expensive bottle of whiskey on the table. He was Luca Taylor, the CEO of Schumatix. Later, a large man wearing a hat came into the room.
“Hello,” the man said
“Long time no see, Andrew.”
Andrew was a broker and lobbyist who helped Luca Taylor. His main areas of service were persuading the responsible departments in each country for overseas clinical trials and obtaining permission to sell new drugs from Schumatix. However, he had done dirtier things than this. Andrew was one of the people that Luca Taylor trusted the most.
“Whiskey?” Luca Taylor asked as he held up the bottle.
“I’m fine. I’m trying to cut back on drinking.”
“Then Coke?” Luca Taylor asked as he pointed to the Coke bottle.
“No, I’m okay.”
“How is it going with A-Bio? Did some of your people join?”
“Yes, a few have joined A-Bio.”
“Are the things that Ryu Young-Joon announced at the conference really being developed at A-Bio?”
“Yes, it is exactly like he said. Although, I could not gather a lot of information as each team is thorough with experiment confidentiality.”
“... I can’t believe it. They can really do that...”
“I’ve heard through rumors that they are developing a stem cell treatment that can cure AIDS,” Andrew said.
“An AIDS cure? How?”
“I don’t know how yet. Young-Joon hasn’t revealed it to anyone.”
“It’s probably difficult to copy easily even if you know how to do it. Stem cells were a minor field before iPSC technology came out. There weren’t many world-renowned experts in that field, and since they all signed contracts with A-Bio already or are set to, it’s going to be difficult for us as latecomers to catch up with them even if we figure out Ryu Young-Joons’ plan.”
“That’s true.”
“Anyway, it worries me that they are making an AIDS cure.”
“It’s bothering me as well.”
“I don’t have the slightest clue as to what he is trying to do, but if it’s released, all our antiretroviral drugs for HIV are going to retire.”
“Probably.”
“He cured glaucoma, cured Alzheimer, and he’s going to make spines, bone marrow, and cure AIDS...”
“He also said he’s going to make organs.”
“He really is Jesus reincarnated, isn’t he? He’s going to do all that in a year?” Luca Taylor scoffed like it was ridiculous.
“But Ryu Young-Joon really might be able to do it if you consider the things he has accomplished in the past six months. He had nothing back then, but like you said, all the world-renowned stem cell experts are on his side now.”
“I also think that he will deliver on a significant amount of what he promised. That’s why it’s even more ridiculous. Seriously, in a year, A-Gen and A-Bio will dominate the pharmaceutical industry. We won’t have space in the market.”
“What are you going to do?”
Luca Taylor silently poured himself a glass of whiskey.”
“Andrew. Are you going to drink the Coke?”
“Pardon? Oh, no.”
Luca Taylor took the bottle of Coke that was in front of Andrew.
“Ryu Young-Joon is like this bottle of Coke. He is full of people’s expectations.”
Then, he opened the lid slightly and vigorously shook it up and down.
Psh... Pop!
With the sound of air escaping, the bubbles rose to the top, pushed the lid out of the way and poured out of the opening.
“Shake him a little bit and let him explode,” Luca Taylor said as he stared at the Coke bottle, which was pouring onto the table.
“Reputation and support in this industry is like a house of cards. The public isn’t supporting him because they know the science behind it; it’s just blind faith that’s almost religious. The atmosphere will change in seconds if you show them evidence about the dangers.”
“...”
“All drugs have side effects, and they will be used as drugs if the efficacy outweighs the side effects. It’s all a matter of what is focused on.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“We have to destroy stem cells, which is the root of everything Ryu Young-Joon is working on. We are going to use a strategy that spreads the perception that it is dangerous to the world.”
“Like the time we destroyed Neural Clinics?”
“Neural Clinics was a venture company, so just spreading the word that stem cells were dangerous and getting their funding cut off was enough to destroy them. But A-Bio has A-Gen supporting them. It’s not that simple.”
“Of course. Even if we instigate things, the truth will come out eventually, and A-Bio won’t fall by then.”
“That’s right. And his funding won’t be cut off since Ryu Young-Joon has shown the world the possibility of successfully curing Alzheimer’s. We can’t get them in the same way we got Neural Clinics.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
“We have to drag them down and catch up to their technology.”
“You’re going to get me to drag them down, right?”
“We can’t touch the clinical trial that he’s supervising and conducting in Korea, but there’s a product that has a clinical trial ending soon.”
“The glaucoma one? That is going to go into commercialization in a couple months.”
“That’s right. That’s the first technology A-Bio manufactured. If it becomes commercialized and provided worldwide, we can use it, too.”
“Clinical trials end at Phase Three, but that’s only based on the standards of the general public. In the pharmaceutical industry, there’s a Phase Four.”
“I understand what you’re saying.”
“Feedback on problems after commercialization.”
Tung!
Luca Taylor threw the empty Coke bottle into the trash can.
“We are going to aim for that and make Ryu Young-Joon stumble. Just once is enough. When he’s no longer overestimated and A-Bio is running around like headless chickens, we can steal some of his people and technology. We can catch up to him then.”
“I understand. I will come up with a detailed plan.”
“You’re going to have to move pretty fast if there’s only a month left until commercialization.”
“Don’t worry, sir. I thought you would say that, so I already started preparing it.”
Andrew grinned.
* * *
Young-Joon was greeting friendly faces in his office. It was Nicholas Kim, the CTO of A-Gen.
“I’m thrilled to see that your company already looks this good,” Nicholas said.
“Thank you,” Young-Joon replied.
“I remember when you barged into the year-end seminar and went up to the podium.”
Nicholas was reminiscing.
“It was quite entertaining to see those violent lab directors all go silent in shock.”
“Did you? You were so quiet that I didn’t know you enjoyed that.”
“Haha, I just thought you were an ingenious and bold oddball back then, but now I see that you are a good businessman as well. To build a hospital like that with donations...”
“All I want to do is advance medicine.”
“I believe you are capable of doing that, Doctor Ryu.”
“How is A-Gen nowadays?” Young-Joon asked.
“It seems they were motivated after seeing A-Bio grow like this. Everyone is working hard. Although, the lab directors seem a little discouraged.”
“Those hot-tempered people are capable of becoming discouraged?”
“Doesn’t someone’s anger issues get resolved in front of people stronger than them?” Nicholas said with a chuckle. “Everyone is worried that you will take away their livelihood. Myself included.”
“Haha, don’t worry. I’m the CEO of A-Bio, but I am also a director of A-Gen.”
“Of course. To be honest, I like the situation now. I like that the lab directors have become nicer as well.”
“Are they nicer to scientists now?”
“It seems like the directors are scared that the scientists will leave because they keep glancing at A-Bio. They have become quite nice. In particular, Director Gil Hyung-Joon is trying to get closer to the scientists by buying them coffee and giving them movie tickets.”
“Hahaha, I can’t even imagine what that would look like. I still clearly remember how he screamed at us during the seminar.”
“That’s why the young scientists call you Ryu Hyung-Wook.”
“Ryu Hyung-Wook?”
“They combined your name with a famous dog trainer. I heard the scientists talking about how there is no such thing as a bad director a few times.”[1]
“Oh my god.”
As Young-Joon chuckled in bafflement, Nicholas also chuckled.
“I also told the directors multiple times to be kind to their scientists, but they didn’t listen to me. To be honest, I’m grateful for you, Doctor Ryu. In this atmosphere, A-Gen should be able to progress quicker.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Please keep what I said a secret.”
“Of course.”
Nicholas took a few sips of his tea. He hesitated a little, then said, “Doctor Ryu. Have you heard anything about the pharmaceutical cartels recently?”
1. Kang Hyung-Wook is a famous dog trainer on the TV show, “There Is No Such Thing as a Bad Dog”, where Kang Hyung-Wook trains violent and bad dogs to correct their behavior. ?
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