on PinterestA man in Norway was “functionally cured” of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant from his brother.
on PinterestA man in Norway was “functionally cured” of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant from his brother. PER Images/Stocksy
- A man in Norway has achieved long-term HIV remission after a stem cell transplant, adding to a small but growing group of similar cases.
- Researchers say rare genetic factors, immune responses, and medication appear to work together to eliminate hidden HIV reservoirs.
- While not a practical cure for most people, these cases are helping scientists better understand the complexities of how to achieve HIV remission.
An adult man in Norway has been functionally cured of HIV following a stem cell transplant. He joins a small number of patients worldwide who have achieved similar outcomes.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a viral infection that weakens the immune system and, if left untreated, can progress to stage 3 HIV or AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
Advancements in prevention and treatment, including PrEP and antiretroviral therapy (ART), have drastically improved outcomes and reduced the risk of HIV transmission.
Despite these advancements, a cure for HIV has remained elusive. But, in some rare cases, patients have been documented as being functionally cured of HIV following stem cell transplants such as an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to treat certain cancers or other hematologic disorders unrelated to HIV infection.
In these cases, “functional cure” refers to long-term HIV remission without the need for ongoing treatment.
Only a small number of patients have achieved remission in this manner, but a new report adds to that growing body of evidence.
The “Oslo patient,” as he is known in the report, is a 63-year-old man who is documented as being functionally cured five years after undergoing HSCT to treat myelodysplastic syndrome.
Researchers affirmed his remission status by testing blood, gut, and bone marrow samples, all of which revealed no detectable viral reservoirs.
The case, which is documented in the journal nature microbiology, is the first in which HIV remission has resulted after a stem cell donation from a sibling.
HIV remission cases linked to rare stem cell mutation
Most, though not all, documented cases of HIV remission following a stem cell transplant have involved patients receiving stem cells from donors with the CCR5Δ32 mutation.
The CCR5Δ32 mutation confers resistance to the most common forms of HIV-1, the predominant HIV variant.
HIV uses CCR5 receptors on immune cells as an entry point to infect them. However, the CCR5Δ32 mutation prevents cells from expressing these receptors, effectively blocking the virus from entering and establishing infection.
The Oslo patient is no exception, having received a stem cell transplant from a sibling carrying the mutation. The presence of the mutation appears to play a key role in long-term remission, but it is not the only factor.
Steven Deeks, MD, a professor of medicine at UCSF in the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, framed the development as a step forward in an evolving understanding of HIV remission. Deeks wasn’t involved in the study.
“There have now been 10 successful transplants. Each is unique, but they collectively
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