The Atlantic

The First Man to Have His Genes Edited Inside His Body

A clinical trial for zinc-finger nucleases, a potential new method of curing genetic diseases, kicks off.
Source: Eric Risberg / AP

Updated on November 15 at 12:37 p.m ET

On Monday, 44-year-old Brian Madeux spent three hours hooked up to an IV and made scientific history.

The clear liquid that dripped into his arm set off a chain of events that is supposed to end with the precise insertion of a gene that Madeux has lacked since birth into, a genetic disorder that causes a range of symptoms including joint stiffness,  breathing problems, and developmental delay. Madeux has had 26 surgeries to deal with it all.

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