Researchers from the Pasteur Institute (France) and the University Hospitals of Geneva (Switzerland) will present this July 24 in Brisbane (Australia) the sixth case of “cure” of HIV after a bone marrow transplant, known as the “Geneva patient.” . They will do so within the framework of the International Conference on HIV Science (IAS).
Until now, a total of five people (the patients from Berlin, London, Düsseldorf, New York and the City of Hope) were considered to have been probably “cured” of HIV infection after receiving a bone marrow transplant from carrier donors. of the rare CCR5-delta 32 genetic mutation, known to provide cells with natural protection against HIV.
Now, as reported by Diario El Mundo , the importance of the Geneva patient lies in the fact that the transplant was taken from a donor who is not a carrier of the CCR5-delta 32 mutation. Therefore, unlike cells from others Individuals who are considered cured, this person’s body remains permeable to HIV. Despite this, the virus remained undetectable even 20 months after stopping antiretroviral therapy.
The “Geneva patient” has been living with HIV since the early 1990s and received antiretroviral therapy from the time of diagnosis. In 2018, he underwent a stem cell transplant as treatment for a particularly aggressive form of leukemia.
One month after the transplant, analyzes showed that the patient’s blood cells had been completely replaced by donor cells, and this was accompanied by a significant reduction in the number of HIV-infected cells. Antiretroviral therapy was gradually reduced and stopped permanently in November 2021.
According to the Spanish newspaper, tests carried out during the 20 months following the interruption of treatment found no viral particles, no latent viral reservoirs, nor any increase in the immune response against the virus. Although these tests do not rule out the persistence of HIV in the body, the scientific team can classify the “Geneva patient” as a case of remission of HIV infection. "What happened to me is wonderful and magical: now we can focus on the future," the patient commented in a statement.
It’s not for everyone
One of those responsible for the research, the Spanish Asier Sáez-Cirión, head of the Viral Reservoirs and Immune Control Unit of the Pasteur Institute, pointed out that this procedure to "cure" HIV "is not applicable on a large scale due to its aggressiveness." ".
"But this new case provides unexpected knowledge about the mechanisms of elimination and control of viral reservoirs, which will play a key role in the design of curative treatments for HIV," he highlighted.
These types of cases are isolated and are not applicable to the millions of people living with HIV in the world. However, they provide new elements and strategies to continue working on a possible cure.
From Fundación Huésped they highlight that although the procedure worked on the Geneva patient, it cannot be done on just anyone because the technique is very dangerous for someone who does not have a type of blood cancer.
