At 60 years old, a German man has potentially become the seventh person in history to be effectively cured of HIV following a stem cell transplant. This news comes after the original Berlin patient, Timothy Ray Brown, who was the first person declared cured of HIV in 2008, passed away from cancer in 2020. The new Berlin patient, who wishes to remain anonymous, received a bone marrow transplant in 2015 as treatment for leukaemia. After stopping antiretroviral drugs in late 2018, nearly six years later, he shows no signs of HIV or cancer.
The stem cell transplant procedure that the German man underwent is not a common option for the almost 40 million people living with HIV globally. It is typically used for individuals with both HIV and aggressive leukaemia, as it essentially replaces the immune system and carries a 10 percent risk of death. Despite this, the medical researchers are cautiously optimistic about the potential for an HIV cure in this case.
The new Berlin patient’s case differs from others who have achieved long-term HIV remission in a key way. While previous patients received stem cells from donors with a specific genetic mutation that made them resistant to HIV, the German man’s donor had only inherited one copy of the mutated gene. This offers hope for a broader donor pool in the future and suggests that full eradication of the CCR5 gene may not be necessary for successful gene therapy.
Sharon Lewin, President of the International AIDS Society, pointed out that the term “cure” is still a point of contention among researchers due to the need for extended follow-up in such cases. However, more than five years without HIV or cancer symptoms brings the new Berlin patient close to being considered cured. This breakthrough, along with previous cases like the Geneva patient who achieved remission without the CCR5 mutation, provides hope for a universal HIV cure that could benefit all patients.
While the news of the potential cure for HIV in the latest Berlin patient is undoubtedly exciting, researchers remain cautious about using the term “cure” until further study and follow-up confirm the long-term effectiveness of the treatment. The hope is that this breakthrough, along with other cases, will pave the way for a future where HIV can be eradicated for all individuals living with the virus.
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