Cancer was a rather peculiar illness in the Marvel Universe. It wasn't entirely incurable, just very difficult to cure.
Lier's illness was essentially a collapse of his cells' genes caused by residual radiation and chemical damage, which accelerated cell death and disrupted cell division.
The Lizard Serum would anchor the portions of a genetically modified lizard's genes responsible for expressing special traits in his cells, activating powerful cell division capabilities and restoring cellular function to normal, or even beyond an ordinary person's level.
But lizards got cancer too, and at the molecular level, genes were inherently susceptible to radiation damage. There was simply no possibility of recovering through the Lizard Serum alone.
In fact, no genetic modification drug could accomplish that.
The International Gene Cooperation Corporation had gradually mastered the gene-editing technology it had stolen from Biotechnica, and, supported by the still relatively intact global market, had launched a research program akin to an upgraded Human Genome Project.
This research program aimed to use gene-editing technology to provide gene therapy to patients with congenital or acquired genetic damage, while also deepening their mastery of genetic technology and seeking ways to further improve human genetic modification techniques.
According to Connors's original estimates, there might have been considerable hope, but so far, the main technological advances remained limited to treating common congenital diseases with clear causes, such as hemophilia A and B, spinal muscular atrophy, sickle cell anemia, and so on.
Humanity already understood these diseases well enough. Vast quantities of data had allowed modern medicine to identify which genes expressing particular traits a patient might lack, and mature gene-splicing technology had made complete cures for such diseases possible.
But for Lier, a better understanding of genes offered no further help beyond a deeper understanding of which cellular functions he currently lacked