Medicine: Jesse and the Wayward Gene

Jesse Gelsinger, 18, had good reasons not to sign up for experimental gene therapy. Though the Tucson, Ariz., teen was born with a rare genetic disorder that partly disabled his liver, his course of drugs and diet was working. The Phase I trial at the University of Pennsylvania, where doctors would pump a modified cold virus into his system to correct genetic flaws, promised nothing in the way of a cure.

But Jesse was determined to become a guinea pig. "It made him feel good as a person," says his father Paul. "He said, 'Hey, this may be good for me,...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!