A 60-year-old German man dubbed the "Next Berlin Patient," has achieved long-term HIV remission after undergoing a stem cell transplant in 2015 for acute myeloid leukemia from a donor with a rare genetic mutation that prevents HIV from replicating.
He discontinued antiretroviral medication in 2018 and remains in viral remission, appearing to be cancer-free, making him the seventh person considered cured of HIV.
The case, along with six others between 2007 and 2023, demonstrates the possibility of an HIV cure through stem cell transplants, which replace the immune system with cells from donors resistant to HIV due to the CCR5 delta 32 gene mutation.
Stem cell transplants are crucial in eradicating viable copies of the virus by destroying the cancer-afflicted immune system and replacing it with a donor's healthy immune system. However, they are highly toxic and can be fatal, limiting their widespread availability.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for a determined fight against HIV and related stigmas. One person dies every minute from AIDS, and a quarter of HIV-positive individuals lack access to treatments worldwide. The WHO European region has seen an increase in new infections and deaths related to HIV, with significant disparities in HIV rates across countries.
The case gives hope for expanding treatment options and future HIV cure strategies, as about 1% of Caucasians have both copies of the resistance gene, while 20% have one copy, potentially affecting the virus's progression. Broadening the donor pool and gene therapy could lead to more accessible HIV cure strategies.
HIV is difficult to cure due to the virus hiding in resting cells, known as the viral reservoir, which standard antiretroviral treatments are ineffective against.
The man's case is a reference to the first cured patient, Timothy Ray Brown, known as the "Berlin patient," who was cured of HIV in 2008 after a bone marrow transplant but died from cancer in 2020.
Five other individuals, were likely cured of HIV after bone marrow transplants, with previous cases involving donors with rare mutations preventing HIV entry into cells.
The new Berlin patient is the first to receive stem cells from a donor with only one copy of a mutated gene, suggesting heterozygotes may also lead to a cure and potentially expanding the donor pool for similar procedures in the future.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: Axios, NBC News, CBC, The Sun, New York Post, O Globo, Times of India, Correio 24 Horas, Newsmax, Correio Braziliense, Só Notícia Boa, Portal T5, Folha de S.Paulo, Itatiaia, Diário do Grande ABC, Ahram Online, IstoÉ, The Times, SRF, Detik, Scoop