I absolutely love this post—thank you for your comments. You’re definitely thinking the same way I am: CCR5 isn’t just about HIV or cancer, it’s an immune switch that cuts across multiple disease states, and that makes this not only a global health issue but also a national security priority.

As for Dr. Paul Madden, I would have loved the chance to sit down with him and pick his brain. What first led him to focus on blocking CCR5? Which disease states was he most concerned about in the early days? And as his lab work progressed, when did it become clear that the range of conditions impacted was so vast (Ohm’s List)—that this could truly be a game changer?

He was an angel to humanity, and his vision set in motion something extraordinary. May he rest in peace, and may his work continue to ripple forward into saving millions of lives.