HIV can now be cured
// February 16th, 2009 // No Comments » // General
HIV can now be cured.
A 42-year-old HIV patient with Leukemia shows no sign of HIV symptoms after 2 years of stem cell transplant from a donor carrying a gene mutation that confers natural resistance to the HIV virus. The mutation cripples a receptor known as CCR5 which is normally found on the surface of T cells , the type of immune system cells attacked by HIV. The mutation is known as CCR5 delta32 is found in 1-3% of white populations of European descent.
To perform the stem cell transplant, the doctors destroy a patient’s immune system, leaving the patient vulnerable to the infection then re-introduce a donor’s stem cells (either from bone marrow or blood) in order to build a new and healthy immune system. However, it is still too risky for the transplant as about a third of the people die during the transplant.
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