Stem Cell Transplant Cures HIV In 'Berlin Patient'

On the heels of World AIDS Day comes a stunning medical breakthrough: Doctors believe an HIV-positive man who underwent a stem cell transplant has been cured as a result of the procedure.

Timothy Ray Brown, also known as the "Berlin Patient," received the transplant in 2007 as part of a lengthy treatment course for leukemia. His doctors recently published a report in the journal Blood affirming that the results of extensive testing "strongly suggest that cure of HIV infection has been achieved."

Brown's case paves a path for constructing a permanent cure for HIV through genetically-engineered stem cells.

Last week, Time named another AIDS-related discovery to its list of the Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs of 2010. Recent studies show that healthy individuals who take antiretrovirals, medicine commonly prescribed for treating HIV, can reduce their risk of contracting the disease by up to 73 percent.

While these developments by no means prove a cure for the virus has been found, they can certainly provide hope for the more than 33 million people living with HIV worldwide. Alongside such findings, global efforts to combat the epidemic have accelerated as of late, with new initiatives emerging in the Philippines and South Africa this week.

Comments

[Trampas Graham]

06:06 PM on 01/23/2011

Thank you for giving me some hope for a cure. The meds are so expensive and the help so difficult to obtain in paying for them that sometimes I fall into a trap of thinking that big pharma wants me sick. I realize this is delusional thinking now--though many activists disagree with me. Until then I'll just take my meds (thank you for the help, America) and read the news, hoping for a cure. Thank you as well for posting this story.

[Andra Claudia Garcia]

11:44 PM on 01/15/2011

for those against stem cell research

what do you have to say for yourselves now?

[MikeLawson]

06:29 PM on 01/09/2011

This would be amazing if its true.

[Nagumo10001]

09:01 PM on 01/05/2011

Did they mention what type of stem cells? Adult stem cells or tissue-specific stem cells, fetal stem cells, cord blood stem cells, embryonic stem cells, or iPS cells?

[Sonic hedgehog]

09:10 PM on 01/06/2011

hematopoietic stem cells

[huffpostreader10000]

02:59 AM on 01/08/2011

hey sonic, say hi desert and indian!

[Rosario Stefania Scarsci]

11:59 PM on 01/04/2011

Sure does say a lot about things today. I expected this story to be something that would be shunned. HIV/AIDS brings money for doctors, insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies. Interesting.

[Endotoxin]

10:32 PM on 01/08/2011

Actually HIV is the same as Cancer in that it doesn't bring money in, it actually strains the system so much because the medications are expensive to create. Virtually none of the people suffering can afford the real price of it. So the State picks up the bill as well as Hospitals and other Treatment Care facilities.

Also if the patient dies there goes your profit. Insurance companies try to drop HIV patients all the time and your average Physician doesn't know the ins and outs of managing the disease. In this case they typically have to be referred to Doctors who specialize in those with immuno-compromised systems.

For deadly diseases like these a cure would be more profitable than treatment which ultimately the patient will pay 1% of if they are lucky. Versus a cure that could cost a couple hundred bucks for a one time treatment that they might pay a 20% co-pay on.

The real money is in High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Atherosclerosis and other slow progressing degenerative diseases caused by genetics, poor diet and lifestyle. Those medications are moderately more affordable and are cash cows for big pharma.

[usn014]

04:47 PM on 12/29/2010

funny how the possible cure to the world's deadliest disease is barely making the news...this is a great reflection on today's media

[Ro Latzi]

10:08 PM on 12/21/2010

This is really great news. There is a biotech company called Sangamo that has three such trials going on, one in San Francisco with Quest, another at the University of Pennsylvania in the laboratory of Carl June and a third to be started at UCLA using the work of Paul Cannon. This is the first I've heard of any results from these trials and I wish them all and all of us the best of luck in finding a treatment and maybe a cure for this dreaded disease.

[BluesBro]

01:17 AM on 12/21/2010

That is awesome news. Its a shame its so expensive to save umbilical cords to provide stem cells for the future.

[caringstd66]

09:57 PM on 12/19/2010

that's a exciting news for people living with hiv or other stds. actually, i've also seen this report on the largest and most trusted HIV health support and safe dating community Positivemate,,com.. i believe things will turn better and better in the future..

[Dionsmusica]

01:12 AM on 12/19/2010

I'm still shocked that his has not been bigger news. I asked a friend who lives in Munich if this was a big story there in Germany, and she said she hadn't heard anything about it. I know that medical "breakthroughs" are always to be accepted with skepticism, but any step towards a possible cure is a huge step, especially after all these years, and soo many lives lost. I can't wait to see how this all develops. I truly can't imagine what will happen if this comes to fruition.

[Judson Wallace]

07:12 PM on 12/17/2010

This story has suddenly been hitting the airways and stuff.... ITS SO OLD. LOL. Everyone is reporting on it now, but its been circulating for months.

[PoliticalRockChick]

02:02 PM on 12/17/2010

How come this is not front page news?

[Nathan Anderson]

12:46 PM on 12/17/2010

Taken with a grain of salt. Still the best news I've heard all month.

[Carlariz]

12:27 PM on 12/17/2010

May this breakthrough someday bring peace and solace to all those infected by this demon...

[CptKendrick]

12:27 PM on 12/17/2010

Well, all I have to say is that this is great news if it pans out, but one thing I've learned over the years is, when a medical or scientific "breakthrough" is heralded, be skeptical of the headline, read the fine print, and wait for a bit to see if the hype translates to reality, or ends up in the trash-bin of journalistic junk science.