In a groundbreaking medical achievement, a man known only as the "Geneva patient“ has become the latest individual to be cured of HIV after undergoing a stem cell transplant as part of cancer treatment.
This remarkable case marks the sixth known instance of an HIV cure, with previous patients achieving long-term remission, but the Geneva patient’s treatment stands out as the first successful cure without the requirement of a rare gene mutation called CCR5, which typically blocks HIV from infecting cells.
The five other patients who were previously cured of HIV underwent treatments in different locations - Berlin, London, Düsseldorf, New York, and the City of Hope medical center in California. What sets the Geneva patient apart is the absence of the CCR5 gene in the donor’s stem cells used for the transplant, making his recovery unique.
According to a Euronews report, the Geneva patient's recovery began in 2018 when he received a stem cell transplant to combat an aggressive form of leukemia.
Despite not receiving stem cells with the protective CCR5 gene, the patient was cured of HIV, as the virus became undetectable in his blood after discontinuing antiretroviral therapy, which had previously controlled the virus.
Although the identity of the Geneva patient remains undisclosed, it is known that he is a white male who was diagnosed with HIV back in 1990. Expressing his emotions to the media regarding the transplant, he called it "magnificent“ and "magical."
It is essential to note that two previous cases in Boston, which involved "normal" stem cells without the CCR5 gene, saw the HIV resurface a few months after discontinuing antiretroviral
medication. However, experts are cautiously optimistic about the Geneva patient’s case.
Asier Saez-Cirion, a scientist from France’s Pasteur Institute, presented the case in Brisbane and stated that if the virus remains undetectable for 12 months, the likelihood of its future undetectability significantly increases.
Saez-Cirion suggested two potential reasons for the Geneva patient’s prolonged remission: either the transplant eradicated all infected cells without the CCR5 mutation or the immuno-suppressive treatment required after the transplant played a role in the cure.
Despite the promising nature of this groundbreaking cure, Sharon Lewin, President of the International AIDS Society, urged caution, recalling that even a single particle of the virus can lead to HIV rebounding. She emphasized the need for vigilant monitoring of the Geneva patient in the coming months and years.
Speaking at the conference, Lewin said that “it is important to recognise that a bone marrow transplant, the treatment undergone by the Geneva patient, is a high-risk and intense procedure that cannot be considered a viable option for all HIV patients. Rather, it should be reserved as a last resort for individuals facing life-threatening cancer in conjunction with HIV.”
IOL