Man unexpectedly cured of HIV after stem cell transplant
9 days ago
- #stem cell transplant
- #medical breakthrough
- #HIV cure
- A man became the seventh person to be HIV-free after a stem cell transplant for blood cancer, without needing HIV-resistant cells.
- This case, along with the 'Geneva patient', suggests HIV-resistant stem cells may not be necessary for a cure, challenging previous beliefs.
- The patient received stem cells with one typical and one mutated CCR5 gene copy, stopped ART after three years, and has been virus-free for over seven years.
- The findings indicate that curing HIV via stem cell transplants might rely on donor cells destroying the recipient's remaining immune cells before the virus can spread.
- Stem cell transplants remain risky and are not recommended for HIV patients without cancer; ART and new drugs like lenacapavir offer safer alternatives.
- Research continues into curing HIV through gene editing and vaccines, expanding potential treatment options.