In a stunning milestone for HIV research, a fifth man has been cured of the virus.
The latest findings were published in Nature Medicine.
Two new cases presented Wednesday at the International AIDS Conference in Montreal have advanced the field of HIV cure science, demonstrating yet again that ridding the body of all copies of viable virus is indeed possible, and that prompting lasting viral remission also might be attainable.
On Monday, the 53-year-old from Germany referred to as “the Dusseldorf patient,” has now become the fifth patient in the world to be cured of the potentially lethal virus thanks to a stem cell transplant.
He initially received treatment in 2019. He has not taken medication since then, and it has been confirmed that he has no traces of the virus.
Scientists continue to look into stem cell transplants as a long-term means of curing patients living with HIV. While the use of antiretroviral medication can deem people living with the virus undetectable, the stem cell transplant offers complete eradication within the body. Though promising, the treatment is still extremely risky and hard to complete.
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