Two Patients Successfully Complete Promising HIV Treatment
Two people have successfully completed a promising new treatment for HIV. In both cases, the patients also had a type of blood cancer associated with HIV. The treatment involves a stem cell transplant from a donor with a rare genetic feature that generates a immune response to fight off the virus. The researchers emphasized that anyone not diagnosed with a potentially fatal health condition such as blood cancer are not good candidates for the stem cell transplant, since the treatment carries serious risks itself. While these patients are the 4th and 5th people to successfully undergo the treatment, transplant has not worked on many other people, prompting scientists to investigate why it was effective on these individuals and how to better target patients who would benefit. Nevertheless, researchers are working to improve this exciting new approach and hope it one day leads to a universal cure for HIV.
Full Story: NBC News