How AIDS Activists Transformed Genetic Engineering
Eben Kirksey, The Atlantic
When the nurse slipped the IV needle into his arm, Matt Sharp was calm. Yes, he knew the risks: As one of the first humans ever to receive the experimental treatment, he could end up with mutant cells running amok in his body. But he was too enamored of the experiment's purpose to worry about that. For two decades, Sharp had been living with HIV. He'd watched the height of the AIDS crisis claim dozens of his friends' and lovers' lives. Now, he believed he was taking a step toward a cure.
When the nurse slipped the IV needle into his arm, Matt Sharp was calm. Yes, he knew the risks: As one of the first humans ever to receive the experimental treatment, he could end up with mutant cells running amok in his body. But he was too enamored of the experiment's purpose to worry about that. For two decades, Sharp had been living with HIV. He'd watched the height of the AIDS crisis claim dozens of his friends' and lovers' lives. Now, he believed he was taking a step toward a cure.