After Jian Lianyun read the information, he immediately drove to the neuroscience laboratory to discuss the treatment plan with Chen Yiqing.

"Typical ALS patients show a reduction and atrophy of the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord, accompanied by gliosis, under a microscope."

"The pathological changes are obvious, with extensive structural damage to the spinal cord, the anterior horn of the spinal cord, the pyramidal tract, and the posterior spinocerebellar tract, all with loss of neuronal cells and proliferation of glial cells."

"Most patients with ALS have initial clinical manifestations similar to spinal muscular atrophy, such as weakness in the limbs."

"At this time, the function of the medulla oblongata is not affected, but only the motor nerves of the spinal cord and limbs are affected."

"As the disease progresses, it eventually enters the brain and develops bulbar paralysis, resulting in loss of muscle control over internal organs, such as difficulty swallowing, inability to breathe, etc., and eventually suffocation and death."

"It can be said that nerve damage to the spinal cord is the key to treating ALS."

"Even if it cannot be completely treated, it can greatly delay the progression of ALS and extend the patient's life."

"If you can treat spinal cord injury, it's very possible to contain the patient's condition from the beginning and keep it in its early stages. That's what stem cell therapy is about."

Chen Yiqing's excited voice echoed in the laboratory, describing his major discovery.

Jian Jianyun listened carefully, frowning from time to time, as if thinking about a difficult problem, and then relaxed again, as if the questions in his heart had been answered.

Upon hearing this, a light flashed in her eyes and a heavy joy appeared on her face.

"Your idea makes sense. The medical community has never had a good way to deal with the incurable disease of ALS."

"The cause of the disease is still unknown, the target is unclear, and there are no drugs or methods that can prevent the progression of the disease."

"We can only watch the patient slowly develop from the early stage to the terminal stage and eventually die within 3-5 years."

"The scary thing about ALS is that it slowly deprives the limbs of their ability to move, as if they are frozen, and the patient can only bear it all happening. This almost cruel change often makes

The patient is in great pain."

"There are several hypotheses about the cause of the disease, but they are just hypotheses and cannot be confirmed."

"The only thing that can be known is that it is mainly caused by damage to motor neurons. As for what exactly causes damage to motor neurons, we still don't know."

"In the early stage, weakness of the limbs and even paralysis is mainly due to damage to the motor neurons of the spinal cord. In the later stages, the disease invades the brainstem and infects the medulla oblongata."

"The medulla oblongata mainly controls the operation of internal organs and body functions. If the motor neurons in this area are damaged, the muscles of various organs in the body will not be able to control normally, leading to the death of the patient."

"As long as the patient's condition is controlled in the spinal cord and does not travel up to the brain and infect the medulla oblongata, the patient's life will not be in danger."

"Stem cell gene combination therapy can potentially protect the diseased motor neurons in the patient's spinal cord. Even if it cannot be completely cured, it can allow the patient to live for a few more years, or even maintain the original condition."

"In this way, the disease is under control and the patient can at least survive."

Chen Yiqing smiled and said: "That's exactly what I thought. The medulla oblongata is located in the brain stem, so treatment is very difficult. Our research is not in-depth enough."

"To completely cure ALS, it is inevitable to find the real cause. We may still have a long way to go, but this does not affect our current treatment."

"Although stem cell transplantation can only treat the symptoms of spinal cord damage, and the patient is likely to relapse, at least we have taken a crucial step."

"At least, humans are no longer helpless."

"Think about the history of medical development. Isn't this how we deal with any disease?"

"At first there was no way, but then the condition slowly eased, and finally a breakthrough was achieved and a complete cure was achieved."

Jian Lian Yun was instantly moved and nodded repeatedly: "That's the truth."

"Other institutions also use stem cell therapy to treat ALS, but they all use mesenchymal stem cells. They have not yet achieved accurate results, and the results are far from as good as yours."

"I am very optimistic about your treatment plan. The ethics committee has also approved it. Submit the data and it is expected that it will be reviewed soon and clinical research can be carried out."

"By the way, your stem cell transplant should also be able to treat some acute spinal cord injuries, right?"

“Have you considered any clinical trial plans in this regard?”

Chen Yiqing nodded involuntarily, but after pondering for a moment, he immediately shook his head.

"Stem cell therapy is definitely effective in the treatment of acute spinal cord injury, at least in rats and some animals."

"The treatment effect for old spinal cord injuries has not yet been officially carried out, and it is not particularly optimistic at the moment."

"I still need further research in this area, hoping to get better treatment options. I already have some preliminary ideas."

"Another reason is that the recovery period of spinal cord injury is relatively long and the differences between patients are large, which is not conducive to listing it as soon as possible."

"Therefore, I only plan to apply for this treatment plan for ALS. Of course, after it is launched, I will definitely carry out this treatment during the Phase IV clinical supplementary trials."

Jian Jian Yun showed an expression of sudden realization: "Yes, you are an enterprise. Of course, you must consider efficiency and output ratio first."

"The treatment of acute spinal cord injury takes a long time, and there are other treatments. A double-blind comparative experiment will take too long."

"Unlike ALS, there is no particularly effective treatment. As long as it is proven to be able to alleviate the condition, it can pass the review and be put on the market as soon as possible through a fast track to benefit the majority of patients."

The two parties discussed together and quickly finalized how to select patients and subsequent treatments, and formulated a precise clinical trial plan.

****

Sichuan Province, Chengdu City.

An orange mountain bike that had been polished was leaning against the corner, with a packing bag and a hat hanging on the front of the bike. There was no stain on the wheels.

This 30-square-meter single room is filled with large and small pillows and cushions, which can relieve the body's paralysis when the owner of the room sits or lies down.

Ma Jun was sitting on the sofa in a daze at this time. His back and legs were raised, and his body formed a U shape. He looked at the ceiling and seemed to be lost in thought.

On the coffee table in front of him, there was an empty porcelain cup, and next to it were a thick notebook and a water-based pen.

On the bookshelf behind the sofa, there are postcards of giant pandas and stacks of medicines.

After a while, Ma Jun's pupils returned to focus. These short few minutes were extremely long for him.

Because he finally made a decision.

"I have been to many cities, including Lhasa, Ulu, Binshi, Haishi, Beijing, Hangzhou, Jinling... My biggest dream was to ride to Tibet."

Ma Jun murmured to himself like he was dreaming, and tears slowly fell from the corners of his eyes.

But he didn't seem to notice it, and his eyes turned to the mountain bike leaning against the wall, showing strong attachment in his eyes.

This was his most precious item. Once upon a time, he rode it through the streets of Chengdu and the bumpy mountain roads of Aer Village in Wenchuan.

However, after getting sick, it became increasingly difficult to control the brakes, so the mountain bike was idle.

"Old man, you have been with me for 20 years. I never thought you could retire early."

Ma Jun forced a smile, and the tears from the corners of his eyes poured out uncontrollably like spring water.

Each unforgettable picture, through the layers of fog of time, emerges in my mind with incomparable clarity.

Twenty years ago, when the earthquake occurred, he was only 30 years old and had a stable job in Suzhou City.

The moment the news came, he immediately set off, went to Sichuan alone, bought this mountain bike, and rushed to the front line of Aer Village.

Day after day, he walked through the winding paths, teaching children in the rebuilt village how to read and write, and started working as a support teacher.

He even adopted a child whose parents had both died. After the teaching service ended, he took him back to his hometown to raise him.

Until three years ago, he noticed that his right hand was gradually becoming numb, so he ran to a nearby orthopedic hospital and was diagnosed with carpal syndrome.

The doctor said that there was something growing in his wrist that was pressing on the nerves and that he needed surgery to remove it, otherwise his hand would be useless.

After the sutures were removed during surgery, his right hand still did not improve, but the same symptoms appeared on his left hand.

Starting last year, his hands became numb, then his limbs became stiff, and he often fell to the ground.

When walking, my feet will feel like a burning iron, and my knees will feel like they are rusty. I can no longer squat down, and even if I squat down, I can't stand up.

Accompanied by his family, he went to Kunming First People's Hospital for medical treatment and was finally diagnosed with ALS and secondary disability.

After taking the medicine, the numbness in my hands was relieved, and at least my fingers could still move, but the price was uncontrollable pain throughout my body.

The pain felt familiar to him, reminding him of the frostbite he had experienced as a child.

From elementary school to high school, he spent time in the north. What he remembers most deeply is the frostbite on his hands and feet in winter, which recurs every year and is unbearably painful.

The pain spread from childhood to youth, and now it swept over him at the age of knowing his destiny, making him suffer even more.

The painkillers he took every day gave him a lot of relief, but the increasing numbness of his body made him understand that life seemed to be constantly draining from his body, and there was not much left.

Then, an idea popped up in my mind uncontrollably.

He took the child who survived the disaster and returned to Chengshi, hoping to revisit his old place and meet his old friends.

He didn't even leave behind his mountain bike, he just brought it over.

The first stop was to go to the Wenchuan Memorial Hall, but the memorial hall was built on a hillside. He could not lift his stiff legs and could not climb up, so he had to be carried up the mountain by his children.

Back in Aer Village, the rugged mountain roads filled with gravel had long been replaced by smooth roads, and dense jungles had grown out of the devastated mountains.

After seeing all this, Ma Jun found that everyone was living a good life. The village where he supported education had also developed a tourism industry, and everything was prosperous.

At this point, he was finally relieved.

When he returned to his rented house in Chengshi, he drank a cup of coffee and felt much better.

I lay on the sofa, found a comfortable position, and spent a few minutes thinking about something.

These few minutes were just a short moment in his life, but they determined the fate of his life.

Ma Jun stretched out his somewhat stiff fingers, struggled to pick up the notebook and pen, and placed them on his knees.
To be continued...