HIV infection - Charité-Researcher: Another person cured of HIV
Another HIV patient has been cured according to the Berlin Charité's statements. The man referred to as the "second Berlin patient" had no detectable HIV virus since more than five years after discontinuing antiviral therapy, the researchers at the Charité announced. This makes him the third person in Germany and, depending on the count, the sixth or seventh person worldwide to be considered cured. The first "Berlin patient," Timothy Brown, was the first person to be healed from HIV over 15 years ago.
The "second Berlin patient," a 60-year-old man, was diagnosed with HIV in 2009 according to the Charité's statements. In 2015, he was also diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a type of blood cancer. In addition to chemotherapy, he required a stem cell transplant.
"Donor immune system takes control"
The patient received stem cells from a healthy donor along with her immune system. "The donor immune system essentially takes control," explained Olaf Penack, senior physician in the department of Hematology, Oncology, and Tumor Immunology at the clinic. The unique aspect of this case is the treatment method, said Christian Gäbler, group leader at the clinic for Infectiology and Intensive Care Medicine at the Charité.
The HIV virus infects cells in the body at specific docking sites, the so-called CCR5 receptors. Approximately one percent of the European population, according to the Charité, has a mutation of these CCR5 receptors, known as the Delta-32 mutation. This mutation prevents the virus from entering - those affected are naturally immune to HIV.
The first "Berlin patient" was successful in finding a stem cell donor whose cell properties matched the recipient and carried the immunity-conferring mutation. Through the stem cell transplant, his immune system, including the mutation, was transferred. Worldwide, four other people have been treated in this way and are considered cured. The treatment is risky, with a therapy-related mortality risk of around ten percent according to the Charité. If successful, it eliminates both the HIV virus and the cancer.
The "second Berlin patient" approached the stem cell donation differently. A suitable HIV-immune donor was not found. The donor, however, had "an additional mutated version of the docking site on her cells," said Penack, who also treated the first "Berlin patient." This occurs when a person inherits the Delta-32 mutation from only one parent. This does not confer immunity to HIV.
Patient discontinued therapy voluntarily
After the stem cell transplant, the patient also received an antiretroviral therapy against the virus. This therapy prevents further virus production but has no effect on existing virus reservoirs that formed after infection. "These virus reservoirs are the biggest hurdle in HIV cure research," said Gäbler.
The patient discontinued the antiretroviral therapy voluntarily in 2018. The researchers reported that he had been convinced of his healing for a long time. Since then, there has been no evidence of renewed virus multiplication, said Gäbler: "We were all surprised and delighted." The researchers are currently investigating how the success can be explained. It could be that the patient's immune system was quickly replaced by the donor immune system, according to Gäbler.
Globally, approximately 39 million people live with HIV infections. Cures are rare. If we include a case where the observation period is relatively short, there are currently seven people worldwide considered cured from HIV.
World AIDS Conference 2024
- The announcement of the second Berlin patient's HIV cure has sparked interest in the International AIDS community.
- Christian Gaebler, a group leader at the Charité, is expected to discuss the case at the World Aids Conference in Bavaria, Germany, in 2024.
- The HIV patient in Berlin, now considered cured, has been living disease-free for over five years after discontinuing antiviral therapy.
- The unique treatment method used in the Berlin patient's case involves a stem cell transplant from a donor with an immune system resistant to the HIV virus.
- In Germany, there are three cured HIV patients, and globally, depending on the count, around seven people have been considered cured from HIV-AIDS using similar methods.
- Medically, understanding the Berlin patient's case could advance HIV research and potentially lead to new HIV cure strategies.
- The success of the Berlin patient's treatment and other similar cases has brought hope to the field of HIV/AIDS research and therapy worldwide.
