meant playing ball with paranoid cold warriors, so be it. Were he not consumed with his own crusade perhaps Campbell would have detected the subtle signs of treason earlier
.
In order to placate their government sponsors, the pair sought to correct the genetic components of traits deemed “undesirable” in future leaders of the free world. The idea was to be able to cure certain genetic conditions that might hobble an otherwise effective leader: manic-depression, alcoholism, sex-addiction, Alzheimer’s
.
Almost all of these afflictions were the result of mutations that would cause the protein encoded by a specific gene to malfunction. When a protein malfunctions, cells that rely on that protein’s function can’t behave normally, which in turn causes so many of the conditions Exodus sought to eradicate. While medical treatment was available for some of these mutations, others remained untreatable. So, rather than merely wrapping a very expensive bandage around these problems, Campbell and Morrison committed themselves to pushing Exodus to the next level, to correct the source of the mutations, replacing faulty genes with healthy, fully functioning ones through a then-revolutionary technique known as somatic gene therapy
.
After manufacturing a healthy copy of the mutated gene in the laboratory, the Exodus team placed the new, therapeutic gene into a transmissions device known as a vector. This vector was delivered to the patient through a series of injections into a specific tissue, and the new gene was carried into a subject’s defective cells
.
Determined to expand these somatic gene experiments beyond the government’s desired scope, Campbell and Morrison soon began introducing genes into the blood cells of the patients with hemophilia and the brain tissue of Alzheimer’s patients. There was some success: On a few occasions, Project Exodus research reversed the effects of some of mankind’s most feared afflictions. There were also, however, some stunning failures: More than one “volunteer” from Attica’s death row spent his final moments hemorrhaging to death in the Exodus laboratories. Campbell’s resolve wavered after each death, but each time Morrison convinced him to stay with the Project
.
Think of man’s greatest achievements, Campbell recalled Morrison urging him around that time. The Great Pyramids, the Hoover Dam, and the atomic bomb: None could have been accomplished without some loss of life. It was the lives improved by these great works that justified such loss. So a few kiddie-rapists and serial killers died, so what? Morrison had asked. Campbell agreed
.
Despite some early breakthroughs employing gene therapy techniques, both men realized their few early victories owed more to luck than skill. Two massive hurdles togenuinely effective gene therapy remained: complete understanding of gene function and the development of a reliable vector. Without a complete understanding of gene function, the two-man Exodus team was shooting in the dark, never certain if the gene they repaired was the exact gene that caused the genetic defect. Furthermore, the delivery vectors were unstable at best
.
Despite these potential setbacks, the Exodus team pushed forward, spending the next five years attempting to complete the human genome sequence. The final secrets held by the human genome yielded to Campbell and Morrison in the dead of winter, 1981. While the rest of the world was just beginning to investigate the possibilities of mapping the human genome, Morrison and Campbell had already done it. They did not, however, go public with their discoveries. Campbell had wanted to share the data with the world, offering an open-source template that would fast-forward all genetic research by 20 years. Morrison persuaded him not to. There was, after all, still work to be done. The Cold War was again heating up, and when the few individuals in the government hip to Exodus learned of the breakthroughs being made out
.
In order to placate their government sponsors, the pair sought to correct the genetic components of traits deemed “undesirable” in future leaders of the free world. The idea was to be able to cure certain genetic conditions that might hobble an otherwise effective leader: manic-depression, alcoholism, sex-addiction, Alzheimer’s
.
Almost all of these afflictions were the result of mutations that would cause the protein encoded by a specific gene to malfunction. When a protein malfunctions, cells that rely on that protein’s function can’t behave normally, which in turn causes so many of the conditions Exodus sought to eradicate. While medical treatment was available for some of these mutations, others remained untreatable. So, rather than merely wrapping a very expensive bandage around these problems, Campbell and Morrison committed themselves to pushing Exodus to the next level, to correct the source of the mutations, replacing faulty genes with healthy, fully functioning ones through a then-revolutionary technique known as somatic gene therapy
.
After manufacturing a healthy copy of the mutated gene in the laboratory, the Exodus team placed the new, therapeutic gene into a transmissions device known as a vector. This vector was delivered to the patient through a series of injections into a specific tissue, and the new gene was carried into a subject’s defective cells
.
Determined to expand these somatic gene experiments beyond the government’s desired scope, Campbell and Morrison soon began introducing genes into the blood cells of the patients with hemophilia and the brain tissue of Alzheimer’s patients. There was some success: On a few occasions, Project Exodus research reversed the effects of some of mankind’s most feared afflictions. There were also, however, some stunning failures: More than one “volunteer” from Attica’s death row spent his final moments hemorrhaging to death in the Exodus laboratories. Campbell’s resolve wavered after each death, but each time Morrison convinced him to stay with the Project
.
Think of man’s greatest achievements, Campbell recalled Morrison urging him around that time. The Great Pyramids, the Hoover Dam, and the atomic bomb: None could have been accomplished without some loss of life. It was the lives improved by these great works that justified such loss. So a few kiddie-rapists and serial killers died, so what? Morrison had asked. Campbell agreed
.
Despite some early breakthroughs employing gene therapy techniques, both men realized their few early victories owed more to luck than skill. Two massive hurdles togenuinely effective gene therapy remained: complete understanding of gene function and the development of a reliable vector. Without a complete understanding of gene function, the two-man Exodus team was shooting in the dark, never certain if the gene they repaired was the exact gene that caused the genetic defect. Furthermore, the delivery vectors were unstable at best
.
Despite these potential setbacks, the Exodus team pushed forward, spending the next five years attempting to complete the human genome sequence. The final secrets held by the human genome yielded to Campbell and Morrison in the dead of winter, 1981. While the rest of the world was just beginning to investigate the possibilities of mapping the human genome, Morrison and Campbell had already done it. They did not, however, go public with their discoveries. Campbell had wanted to share the data with the world, offering an open-source template that would fast-forward all genetic research by 20 years. Morrison persuaded him not to. There was, after all, still work to be done. The Cold War was again heating up, and when the few individuals in the government hip to Exodus learned of the breakthroughs being made out
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