World’s First Person Cured of HIV
A cure for HIV and AIDS has been a major research goal for many many years and unfortunately it seemed for the longest time that very little progress was being made. Today however the world got news of a potential break in the story as a man was functionally cured of his HIV infection through a series of treatments.
Timothy Ray Brown, who was 45 at the time of treatment in 2007, was treated using a series of stem cell transplants through bone marrow. The treatment was meant to prolong his life because he was suffering from both leukemia as well as HIV at the time. According to doctors involved with and doctors studying the case the transplant apparently carried the incredibly rare HIV immunity gene which has essentially cured Brown of his HIV infection.
Obviously all sorts of investigations have been planned and initiated into the case of Brown’s HIV cure but at this time a variety of medical experts say this is nothing short of a functional cure. The process used to treat and essentially cure Brown however might not ever develop into a truly widespread cure for a variety of reasons. To begin with the immunity gene is incredibly rare and as such there is an extreme shortage of donor stem cells to test.
Either way doctors say this is a good step in the right direction for finding a cure for HIV and AIDS. More research will undoubtedly be conducted based on this story for years to come and a cure may eventually become reality thanks to Brown’s incredible luck.
Help us spread the good news:
Post a Comment: