One more HIV cure case reported after sibling stem cell transplant

The patient, now 63, had been living with HIV since 2006 and was receiving standard treatment that kept the virus under control. In 2018, he developed a serious blood disorder, which required a stem cell transplant.

In 2020, he underwent the procedure using stem cells from his brother, who was later found to carry a rare genetic trait known to block HIV from entering cells.

After the transplant, the patient continued HIV medication for 2 years before stopping it under close medical supervision. Since then, doctors have monitored him closely.

Five years after the transplant and 3 years after stopping treatment, no trace of active HIV has been found in his blood, bone marrow, or gut. Tests also showed no signs of the virus being able to replicate, and his immune system no longer reacts to HIV.

Researchers say these findings strongly suggest that the virus may have been eliminated from his body, meaning he is functionally cured.

This case adds to a small number of similar reports worldwide where patients have gone into long-term remission after stem cell transplants. Most of these cases involve donors with the same rare genetic trait that makes cells resistant to HIV.

However, experts caution that such transplants are not a practical cure for most people living with HIV. The procedure is complex, risky, and usually only performed for patients with life-threatening blood diseases.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Chinese researchers introduced a technology that may transform the approach to HIV treatment.