A patient from New York managed to fight off HIV thanks to a treatment with stem cells. Discover its history!
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the deadliest agents. It is estimated to be present in approximately 39 million people worldwide. This disease attacks cells of the immune system (CD4 T cells). As a result, the body is exposed to multiple serious infections and certain types of cancer.
This condition is contracted through blood, precum, semen, vaginal secretions, or breast milk. For this reason, it is usually due to unprotected sex.
Within 10 years, without treatment, it can cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This is the most serious phase of the disease, because the body is very vulnerable.
It is essential that sick people take a series of medicines, known as antiretrovirals. These help to improve the quality of life.
Unfortunately, there is no cure to end this disease. But the scientific community has discovered procedures that have cured 3 HIV-positive patients. Here we invite you to find out the details of third person recovery.
The story of the world’s third person cured of HIV
A woman who wishes her identity to remain anonymous and who will be called a ‘New York patient’ fell ill with HIV in 2013. Once diagnosed, she started antiretroviral treatment.
Unfortunately, 4 years later, he was diagnosed with myeloid leukemia, an aggressive blood cancer. Because of this situation, the team of scientists from Weill Cornell Medicine At New York made the decision to treat him with stem cells.
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During February of that year, the scientific team reported that this method allowed the patient to be cured of HIV. This is how she became the first woman to recover from this disease and the third person to recover from it in history.
What did the treatment consist of?
The New York patient underwent a stem cell transplant, cells donated by a relative, and an umbilical cord, which was in a blood bank.
All of the cells selected had a mutation that made them resistant to HIV. They entered the woman’s body, replaced the affected cells and prevented the damage from progressing further.
After that, the American remained under medical supervision. No side effects appeared. After 17 days, she was able to leave the clinic where she was staying.
Since then, she has not taken any antiretroviral treatment and, after examination of her blood, no signs of HIV were found. The experts were therefore able to conclude that the disease had completely disappeared.
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The clarifications of the doctors after the result
After analyzing the progress in this third person, the scientists affirmed that this method is less aggressive than that practiced on the first two people cured of HIV.
By not having to involve the bone marrow in the transplant, patients are not exposed to graft versus host disease. On the other hand, scientists have stated that umbilical cord blood does not need to have the same compatibility as is required when only adult cells are used.
They also clarified that being of mixed race is a factor that facilitates the procedure. Indeed, they discovered that the genetic mutation resistant to HIV is much more present in whites.
Finally, they explained that this method can only be applied in patients who, in addition to having HIV, develop a type of cancer. So, although they recognize that this treatment represents a breakthrough, there is still a long way to go.
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