A 64-year-old man in Oslo may have been cured of HIV after five years in remission following a stem-cell transplant from his brother, who has a rare genetic mutation CCR5 delta 32/delta 32 that helps resist many HIV strains. The transplant was originally performed to treat the patient’s bone marrow cancer. Diagnosed with HIV in 2006 at age 44, he discontinued antiretroviral therapy 24 months after the procedure.
Researchers reported that two years post-transplant, tests found no HIV DNA in blood or gut tissue, and no virus capable of replication among more than 65 million immune cells examined. The study authors wrote: “Replication-competent virus and HIV-specific T cell responses were absent, and HIV antibody responses showed a gradual decline…The absence of HIV-specific T cell responses in our data supports the hypothesis that such an absence correlates with sustained HIV remission.” Clinicians, however, caution that this approach is not broadly applicable. Stem-cell transplants are high-risk and typically reserved for life-threatening cancers.
Matching donors are rare, and the CCR5 delta 32/ delta 32 mutation occurs in about one percent of northern European populations. For most people living with HIV, antiretroviral therapy ensures a normal lifespan and undetectable viral load. The Undetectable equals Untransmittable remains central to HIV care and prevention. Nonetheless, for the LGBTQ community across the world, the “Oslo Patient” isn’t just a clinical exception; he is a reminder that the finish line for the HIV/AIDS epidemic might be getting closer.
