In a groundbreaking announcement on Thursday, doctors revealed that a seventh individual has effectively been cured of HIV following a
stem cell transplant
nearly a decade ago. The patient, a 60-year-old German man who wishes to remain anonymous, was battling acute myeloid leukaemia when he underwent a high-risk procedure to replace his diseased bone marrow in October 2015, according to a report from NYP.
The man discontinued his anti-retroviral medication, which prevents HIV from replicating, in September 2018.
He remains in viral remission and appears to be cancer-free. "A healthy person has many wishes, a sick person only one," the man said, reflecting on his progress.
Dr Christian Gaebler, a physician-scientist at the Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, will present the case at the upcoming 25th International AIDS Conference. Gaebler expressed growing confidence in the possibility of eradicating all competent HIV in this case, given the prolonged remission without any HIV therapy.
“The longer we see these HIV remissions without any HIV therapy, the more confidence we can get that we’re probably seeing a case where we really have eradicated all competent HIV,” Gaebler said.
However,
International AIDS Society
President Sharon Lewin advised against using the term "cure" during a recent news conference. Nonetheless, she acknowledged that being in remission for more than five years suggests the patient is close to being considered cured.
The German man's case differs from most of the other six patients in one significant aspect. In five of the six remaining patients, the stem cells originated from donors possessing two copies of an uncommon genetic mutation that inhibits HIV replication.
The German patient is reported to be the pioneer in receiving stem cells from a donor with only a single copy of the mutated gene, while also possessing a copy of the gene himself.
Approximately 1% of Caucasians possess two copies of the defective gene, whereas an estimated 10% to 18% of individuals with European heritage have a single copy, thereby expanding the potential donor pool.
Globally, around 39 million individuals are living with HIV, the virus responsible for AIDS. Access to this treatment will be limited to a select few, as it is specifically designated for those with HIV and aggressive leukaemia.
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