A 60-year-old German man with HIV, nicknamed the “next Berlin patient,” appears to be cured after receiving a bone marrow transplant for leukemia. This is a significant development because:
It’s the 7th reported case of HIV cure globally, but the 1st where the donor lacked a specific genetic mutation previously thought essential. This broadens the potential donor pool for future treatments. The man’s remission lasted nearly 6 years after stopping HIV medication, which is highly suggestive of a cure. However, there are limitations:
The bone marrow transplant procedure is high-risk and not suitable for most HIV patients. Researchers aren’t 100% certain all traces of HIV are gone, but the patient feels well and is contributing to research. Overall, this case offers promise for a wider HIV cure in the future, potentially without requiring the specific genetic mutation in donors.
So they wipe out all the patient’s bone marrow, let them simmer in a immuno-bubble-room for a bit, then give them a stemcell bone marrow transplant from someone whose bone marrow is hiv resistant and hope to high hell that the process itself doesn’t result in the patient’s death.
Oh, and out of caution they continue to consider the patient HIV pos for the rest of their lives anyway.
For me, the real takeaway is that medical professionals no longer view HIV a big enough health risk to consider stuff like this viable for HIV patients in general.