In a significant advance for HIV treatment, a recent study has shown that The virus can be cured with a stem cell transplanteven in the absence of the genetic mutation known as CCR5-Δ32, which until now was considered crucial to eradicating the virus from the bodyThis discovery opens new doors in the fight against this disease, offering hope to millions of people affected by this disease around the world.
Traditionally, cases of HIV cure through stem cell transplantation have been associated with the presence of a specific genetic mutation called CCR5-Δ32. This mutation, present in a small percentage of the population, prevents HIV uses the CCR5 receptor to enter human cellsthus blocking its ability to replicate and spread. The first cases of HIV cure, such as the famous case of Berlin patient In 2008, these were stem cell transplants from donors with this protective mutation.
The new study, presented by a team of international researchers, showed promising results in patients who received stem cell transplants from donors without the CCR5-Δ32 mutation. Instead of relying on this mutation, Scientists used a therapeutic approach combining transplantation with rigorous antiretroviral treatment and intensive immunological monitoring. This approach successfully eliminated HIV from the body of treated patients, demonstrating that cure does not necessarily depend on the presence of the protective mutation.
Details and results of the study
The study, which included several patients who received stem cell transplants for medical reasons other than HIV (such as treatment for leukemia), showed that after transplantation and after a period of recovery and monitoring, there were no detectable signs in the patients’ blood. The patients remained in antiretroviral treatment during and after transplantation to prevent reactivation of the virus.
Long-term follow-up demonstrated the persistent absence of replicating virus in these patients, suggesting that stem cell transplantation, combined with strict management of antiretroviral therapy, may lead to functional cure of HIVeven without the CCR5-Δ32 mutation.
Implications and future of research
This discovery has important implications for HIV treatment. First, it expands the pool of potential donors for stem cell transplants, which is crucial because it is extremely difficult to find donors with the CCR5-Δ32 mutation. Second, it suggests that the key to a cure may lie in the combination of immunological therapies and reconstitution of the immune system by stem cell transplantationrather than in the presence of a specific genetic mutation.
However, it is important to note that while these results are encouraging, stem cell transplants are high-risk procedures and are not a viable option for all HIV patients because of the possibility serious side effects and high cost. Future research will focus on better understanding the mechanisms underlying this healing and developing less invasive and safer methods to achieve similar results.
The demonstration that HIV cure possible without protective mutation represents notable advance in the fight against this virus. Although stem cell transplantation is not yet a large-scale solution, this discovery marks an important step towards the possibility of a universal cure for this diseasebringing new hope and motivation to the scientific community and the millions of people affected by the virus around the world. With more research and development, we could get closer to the effective and definitive eradication of this pathology.
Patient from Geneva
He Patient from Geneva refers to a recent case in the field of HIV research, announced in July 2023. This patient, so-called because he was treated in Geneva, Switzerland, showed promising results in terms of curing this disease after a stem cell transplant. Unlike other previous cases, the Geneva patient did not receive a transplant from a donor carrying the CCR5-Δ32 genetic mutation, which has generated great interest in the scientific community.
The Geneva patient is an important case in HIV cure research because he represents a variation on previous cure cases, such as Berlin patient and London patientwho received stem cell transplants from donors carrying the CCR5-Δ32 mutation. This mutation prevents HIV from entering immune cells, considered a crucial element of cure.
In the case of the Geneva patient, a stem cell transplant was performed to treat a type of blood cancer, similar to other cure cases. However, the donor did not have the CCR5-Δ32 mutation. Despite this, the patient showed an absence of detectable virus in his body after the transplant, suggesting that a functional cure or, at least, remission of the virus could have been achieved.
