Scientists Document Third Known Case of HIV Remission

An American patient with leukemia who had been on antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV infection for four years became the third documented case with HIV remission after receiving a stem cell transplant from a donor who was naturally resistant to the virus. The observational study “IMPAACT P1107” that documented this case, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, began its trials in 2015 and included up to 25 participants living with HIV who underwent an umbilical cord blood stem cell transplant for cancer treatment. hematopoietic diseases or other underlying diseases. In the case of this woman who had been on antiretroviral treatment for four years, she achieved remission of leukemia after chemotherapy and, before receiving the transplant, her HIV was well controlled but detectable. In 2017 he received the transplant and, at 37 months, discontinued art. According to the study team, HIV was not detected in the participant for 14 months. HIV remission resulting from a stem cell transplant had previously been observed in two cases. The first, known as the “Berlin patient” (a Caucasian man), experienced an HIV remission for 12 years and was considered cured of HIV; died of leukemia in September 2020. The second, known as the “London patient” (a Latino man) had been in remission from HIV for more than 30 months. This third case, they explain, suggests that umbilical cord stem cell transplantation should be considered to achieve HIV remission and cure for people living with the virus, and who require such a transplant for other diseases.

Original source in Spanish