Chapter 300: Human, All Too Human (The End)
Fluid administered intravenously flowed through the blood vessels. This was A-GenBio’s treatment for radiation exposure.
Universal T-cells had no specific histocompatibility and did not trigger an immune response. Short-lived T-cells circulated within the blood vessels, being directed toward necrotic tissue. They tracked the DNA destroyed by radiation and the cytokines released from the resulting apoptosis.
When they reached the target location, the T-cell membranes collapsed due to the high concentration of cytokines, releasing the DNA reassembly molecules. These were originally produced by bacteria related to Deinococcus radiodurans, but the magic of cutting-edge biology had made them functional in the human body by loading them into T-cells.
These substances diffused into irradiated cells following the simple principle of concentration gradient diffusion. Because these cells were in the process of apoptosis, their cell membranes were unstable and permeable.
Once inside, the DNA reassembly molecules were guided into the nucleus by the cloned nuclear location signal (NLS). There, they recognized the remaining intact DNA sequences and initiated de novo assembly, reconstructing the entire genome of three billion base pairs.
As these molecules originally worked in single-celled bacteria, they were effective on working on individual cells. Gradually, the apoptosis of individual cells ceased, and tissue necrosis halted. From a broader perspective, it meant the patient’s bleeding stopped, or the blackened, decaying tissues had begun to regenerate. The searing pain and excruciating agony began to subside.
“...”
Hideo, the head of nuclear safety, felt like he could finally see clearly. His entire body ached, but he instinctively knew.
‘I’m going to live.’