hiv patient seemingly cured in second remarkable case, london doctors report

by Dr. Jessy Kulas 7 min read

HIV patient seemingly cured in second remarkable case, …

13 hours ago A patient who was diagnosed with HIV in 2003 has become the second patient ever known to be cured of the infection that affects close to 37 million people worldwide after receiving a … >> Go To The Portal


Full Answer

Who was the second person in the world to be cured HIV?

A man from London has become the second person in the world to be cured of HIV, doctors say. Adam Castillejo is still free of the virus more than 30 months after stopping anti-retroviral therapy.

Can HIV be cured by itself?

“This approach is just too, too dangerous for the treatment of HIV by itself,” Deeks said. The London man who was reported to be cured of HIV this week and the Berlin patient, who was cured in 2007, both had cancer.

Is breakthrough in HIV cure worse than the disease?

Doctors are hailing news of a potential breakthrough on a condition that has killed hundreds of thousands in the United States alone. But the operation is so onerous – and HIV now so manageable – that it could be a classic case of the cure being worse than the disease.

Is a cure for HIV worse than a death sentence?

Doctors are hailing news of a potential breakthrough on a condition that has killed hundreds of thousands in the United States alone. But the operation is so onerous – and HIV now so manageable – that it could be a classic case of the cure being worse than the disease. HIV was once a death sentence – it has killed some 35 million people worldwide.

Who was the first person to be cured of HIV?

In 2011, Timothy Brown, the "Berlin Patient" became the first person reported as cured of HIV, three and half years after having similar treatment.

What is the most commonly used receptor for HIV-1?

CCR5 is the most commonly used receptor by HIV-1 - the virus strain of HIV that dominates around the world - to enter cells.

What is the treatment?

Stem-cell transplants appear to stop the virus being able to replicate inside the body by replacing the patient's own immune cells with donor ones that resist HIV infection.

What did Castillejo say about the New York Times?

Mr Castillejo told the New York Times: "This is a unique position to be in, a unique and very humbling position.

What was aggressive therapy used for?

The aggressive therapy was primarily used to treat the patients' cancers, not their HIV.

Does Mr Castillejo have HIV?

The tests suggest 99% of Mr Castillejo's immune cells have been replaced by donor ones. But he still has remnants of the virus in his body, as does Mr Brown. And it is impossible to say with absolute certainty his HIV will never come back.

Can HIV virus penetrate cells?

This means the virus cannot penetrate cells in the body it normally infects. Researchers say it may be possible to use gene therapy to target the CCR5 receptor in people with HIV. It is the same receptor the now jailed Chinese scientist He Jiankui worked on when he created the world's first gene-edited babies.

Who was the second person to get cured of HIV?

The London-based patient becomes the second individual ever to be seemingly cured of HIV over a decade after the first: Timothy Ray Brown, AKA the “Berlin patient,” who almost died after his treatment, according to The New York Times.

When was the London patient diagnosed with HIV?

CNN reports that the London patient, who has chosen anonymity, was diagnosed with HIV in 2003 and began taking antiretroviral drugs nine years later. He then underwent a bone-marrow transplant in 2016 after receiving a diagnosis of advanced Hodgkin’s lymphoma, initially having been treated with chemotherapy.

What mutation does the British man have?

Reuters reports that the British man underwent a transplant from a bone-marrow donor who has a rare genetic mutation, CCR5 delta 32, that resists HIV. And now, a year and a half after he last took antiretroviral medications, the London patient is no longer showing signs of the virus.

Can we detect HIV?

We can’t detect anything,” HIV biologist Ravindra Gupta — one of the doctors who treated the man — told Reuters. Gupta went on to tell the outlet that the patient was “in remission” and “functionally cured”; however, “It’s too early to say he’s cured” completely, said the doctor.

Who is the second person to be cured of HIV?

The ‘London patient’ joins the ‘Berlin patient’ as the second person in history to be cured of HIV, which is achieved via transplant of rare HIV-resistant stem cells. Adam Castillejo is a 40-year-old patient who has become the second person in the world to be cured of HIV.

How does the HIV cure work?

The cure is not a drug that can be manufactured and ad ministered like the COVID-19 vaccine.

What would happen if HIV was available in a mainstream way?

Even if this HIV cure was available in a mainstream way tomorrow, accessibility and affordability would prevent thousands from being able to take the treatment.

Can a virus grow exponentially?

Scientists explain that this kind of percentage is similar to COVID vaccination, as in when enough cells are protected – the infection “cannot grow exponentially.”

Is the HIV epidemic worse in America?

The HIV epidemic in North America continues to have worse outcomes across racial lines, and overlaps with a severe opioids epidemic in socio-economically worse off areas. While Black people make up 13% of the US population, they are 43% of HIV-related deaths in 2018.