- Known as “Patient Geneva” became the sixth person in history who achieved remission of the disease.
- It has not yet been proven that it is the cure for HIV, but there is increasing evidence about the role of stem cell transplantation.
- In addition, it is also suspected that the mutation of the CCR5-delta32 gene influences to achieve better results.
The list of diseases and conditions is endless and new ones are constantly appearing. Although within all of them there is one for which millions of dollars are invested each year with the aim of finding new treatments. Its about Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and despite all efforts there is still no cure.
To date, its origin is not known with certainty, although the possible first cases were reported in 1959. While it was not until 1983 that the disease was baptized as it is known today and since then it has become a serious public health problem.
Since then it has caused more than 30 million fatalities. While one of the greatest inventions ever achieved has been the development of antiretrovirals. When treatment starts early, it helps prevent the disease from progressing to AIDS. Although among the drawbacks are the side effects.
Differences between HIV and AIDS
At this point it is worth making a clarification. HIV and AIDS are not synonymous because while HIV is the first stage of the disease and can be treatable, AIDS is the advanced and most dangerous stage. When that happens, the death of the patient in the short term is quite probable.
The cure against HIV?
While now it is time to talk about news that has captured world attention. It’s about a new case of a person with HIV who achieved remission of the disease.
In this case, the patient was treated in the University Hospitals of Geneva and the Pasteur Institute in Paris. According to reports, it is the sixth time in history that something similar has happened.
The Geneva patient, sixth case of ‘cure’ of HIV after a bone marrow transplant https://t.co/zwidYU6fiQ https://t.co/lePEKJL8Hw
— Europa Press (@europapress) July 21, 2023
At the moment the case is known as the Patient Geneva. Within what has been said is that the man has lived with HIV since the early nineties. While throughout this period he has received antiretroviral treatment that he has never abandoned.
For his part, it is known that he also has leukemia and in 2018 he underwent a stem cell transplant. In fact, it is thought to be what achieved this apparent cure for HIV, although in reality the correct term is remission.
Based on all of the above, there is increasing evidence about the impact of stem cell transplantation for infected patients. Although what has not yet been possible to determine is the reason why it works with some patients and not with others.
Within what is known is that all the cases described received stem cell transplants from compatible adults who carried two copies of the CCR5-delta32 mutation. One of its characteristics is that it confers resistance by preventing the virus from entering cells and infecting them. Therefore, it could be the key to achieving HIV remission with other patients.
What is a referral?
Within Medicine it is used to describe the attenuation or complete disappearance in the patient of the signs and symptoms of his disease. It can be as a consequence of a treatment or spontaneously.
Also read:
They identify the first case in the history of “curing” HIV without medication
Patient New York: First HIV remission with umbilical cord blood stem cells
INFOGRAPHIC: The evolution of HIV/AIDS through history