Bone marrow transplant 'cures Aids patient'

[furrbear]

Certainly worth watching this story develop. From the BBC:

Bone marrow 'cures Aids patient'

Doctors in Germany say a patient appears to have been cured of Aids by a bone marrow transplant from a donor who had a genetic resistance to HIV.

The researchers in Berlin said the man, who suffered from leukaemia and Aids, had shown no sign of either disease since the transplant two years ago.

The result is expected to encourage further interest in gene therapy as a treatment for Aids.

So far all efforts to find a cure have been unsuccessful.

Genetic mutation

Berlin's Charite hospital said the 42-year-old patient was an American living in Berlin who has not been identified.

He had been infected with the human immunodeficiency virus that causes Aids for more than a decade and also had leukaemia.

The clinic said since the transplant, tests on his bone marrow, blood and other organ tissues have all been clean.

"More than 20 months after the successful transplant, no HIV can be detected in the patient," the clinic said in a statement.

But leading HIV researcher, Dr Andrew Badley, of the Mayo Clinic in the American state of Minnesota, has warned a lot more tests are needed to prove the man is clear of HIV.

Roughly one in 1,000 Europeans and Americans have an inherited genetic mutation, which prevents HIV from attaching itself to cells.

Two million people die of Aids every year and the virus is estimated to have infected 33 million people worldwide.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7726118.stm

Published: 2008/11/13 05:57:16 GMT

Comments

[gordreece.livejournal.com]

I have said for a long time that the CCR-5 receptor mutation will be the key to an effective cure or prophylactic.

The frustrating thing is the medical community seems to have a resistance to opening up talk about it. Or testing for the mutation.

I want to know if I have it. Don't you? I've had somewhere around 10 thousand sexual partners and I remain HIV negative. I lost friends in the 80s who only had sex once!

I think they should identify the mutation carriers and let us donate our bone marrow etc for research.

I don't know what to think about this story. Saw it on the news too. But, it highlights the importance of at least looking at the actual carriers of the mutation.

[taobear.livejournal.com]

Maraviroc blocks CCR5

[bookish-cub.livejournal.com]

I can't imagine a world where HIV can be eradicated. It would be wonderful.

[iberianbear.livejournal.com]

Did you have unprotected sex with most of those 10000 sexual partners?

[gordreece.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, the first 4 or 5 thousand. When I was still drinking and using drugs in my early 20s I had loads of unprotected sex and blackout sex.

I really should buy lotto tickets. Because I have horseshoes up my ass. Or I carry the mutation.

[gryphons-hole.livejournal.com]

I actually thought about this possibility when I was being treated for lymphoma...

Only, it would seem I am too healthy and my own bone marrow survived very well.