A London-based cancer patient has maintained HIV remission for 18 months following a stem cell transplant from an HIV-resistant donor, marking the second confirmed case of sustained viral suppression.
The unnamed male patient, diagnosed with HIV in 2003 and advanced Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2012, underwent chemotherapy and stem cell implantation that resulted in both cancer and HIV remission. Researchers noted the patient no longer requires antiretroviral therapy.
Experts emphasize the treatment remains unsuitable for widespread HIV care due to the high risks associated with chemotherapy and radiation. However, the case provides critical insights into potential future cure strategies.
This follows the 2007 case of Timothy Brown, the Berlin patient, who achieved remission through a similar approach involving bone-marrow transplantation from an HIV-resistant donor. Brown's treatment included more aggressive protocols, including total body irradiation.
Lead researcher Prof Ravindra Gupta from University College London stated the second case confirms the effectiveness of the treatment methodology rather than attributing success to chance. "By achieving remission in a second patient using a similar approach, we have shown that the Berlin patient was not an anomaly," Gupta said.
Prof Eduardo Olavarria of Imperial College London highlighted the significance of the findings while cautioning against standardization of the procedure. "The treatment is not appropriate as a standard HIV treatment because of the toxicity of chemotherapy, which in this case was required to treat the lymphoma," he noted.
Researchers from University College London, Imperial College London, and universities in Cambridge and Oxford collaborated on the case study, which was published in a medical journal.
