Stem Cell Transplant Using Umbilical Blood Cures US Woman of HIV, She's Now 14 Months Virus Free

• At Denver's Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, a case study was presented of a US woman who was cured of HIV
• The woman was diagnosed with HIV and leukaemia, but due to umbilical cord blood, she is free of the virus
• Netizens are excited by the news and hopeful that the new scientific discovery will mean an HIV-free future

DENVER - A leukaemia patient in the US, who also had HIV, has been cured of the virus by a first-of-its-kind stem cell transplant.

Her story was presented as a case study at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Denver. The doctors who treated her used umbilical cord blood, which is an innovative new method.

The woman was initially receiving the blood as part of her leukaemia treatment, but doctors noticed it eliminated the HIV from her body without any antiretroviral (ARV) medication. SABC News reports that she has been free of HIV for 14 months and is in remission from leukaemia.

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Previous stem cell treatments for HIV patients

Previously, two men had been separately treated for HIV through adult stem cell transplants. They were cured and scientists and doctors predict that umbilical cord transplants will pave the way for HIV treatment in the future, according to Reuters.

The head of the International AIDS Society, Sharon Lewin, said that this case proves that gene therapy is a successful method of treating HIV patients. Currently, it's still not a very accessible treatment. Lewin added that scientists need to find ways to make stem cell transplants more cost-effective and easier to administer.

"Taken together, these three cases of a cure post stem cell transplant all help in teasing out the various components of the transplant that were absolutely key to a cure," Lewin said.

Reactions to HIV cure

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@LebneniAl said:

"It's a big achievement."

@BlissErin remarked:

"Fabulous!"

@LordSilverbaq shared:

"Amazing the medical science we have today."

@DustinGinsberg said:

"Absolutely amazing news! We are going to see HIV/AIDS hopefully eradicated in just a generation! Amazing job by these scientists and doctors."

@motnosnevets shared:

"Fab news. WIll hopefully result in a breakthrough treatment."

Moderna starts HIV vaccine trials in the US using mRNA technology, hopes to curb spread

Speaking of innovative HIV treatments, Briefly News previously reported that the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and Moderna, a biotech and pharmaceutical company, announced that clinical trials for an HIV vaccine have started in the US.

The first phase of the trial consists of 56 HIV negative and healthy adults. The vaccine uses mRNA technology, similar to that of Covid-19 vaccines and will produce bnAbs (broadly neutralising antibodies).

These antibodies will protect against HIV and its many variants. Vaccinated people's bodies will produce the bnAbs through their B lymphocytes in their immune system.

Source: Briefly News