July 5, 2013 | Health Matters

HIV disappears from two patients after stem-cell transplant

On Wednesday, Dr. Timothy Henrich of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, revealed that two HIV-positive patients who underwent stem-cell transplants are now showing no trace of the virus in their systems.

The individuals, who were both on long-term antiretroviral therapy for HIV, had also developed lymphoma. They were placed on reduced intensity chemotherapy followed by stem-cell transplants, and are now showing no evidence of having HIV.

One patient has had no detectable virus for approximately 15 weeks, and the second patient for seven weeks. Researchers admit that though this is a positive sign, only long-term follow-up will determine if the virus is gone for good. HIV is known to rebound in patients, with the virus hiding out in reservoirs in the body and then re-emerging at a later time.

“These findings clearly provide important new information that might well alter the current thinking about HIV and gene therapy,” said amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost. “While stem-cell transplantation is not a viable option for people with HIV on a broad scale because of its costs and complexity, these new cases could lead us to new approaches to treating, and ultimately even eradicating, HIV.”

The first person to be cured of HIV, Timothy Brown (“the Berlin patient”), also underwent a stem-cell transplant to treat his leukemia. These new cases differ significantly, however, in that the stem-cell donors lacked the genetic mutation (CCR5 delta32) that renders a person virtually resistant to HIV infection.  Nor did Dr. Henrich’s patients undergo the intensive chemotherapy or total body irradiation that preceded Timothy Brown’s stem-cell transplant.

“Dr. Henrich is charting new territory in HIV eradication research,” said amfAR Vice President and Director of Research Dr. Rowena Johnston. “Whatever the outcome, we will have learned more about what it will take to cure HIV. We believe amfAR's continued investments in HIV cure-based research are beginning to show real results and will ultimately lead us to a cure in our lifetime.”

Every step closer to a cure, no matter how small, is a wonderful bit of news.

Researcher Reports Two HIV Patients Showing No Signs of Virus in Wake of Stem-Cell Transplants [amfAR]