Have We Found the Cure for HIV?

Photo Courtesy of Joseph Lago/AFP

Every year, 20 million people worldwide are diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease- 50,000 of these cases being HIV. This may all soon become statistics of the past, given the increasing amount of technology and innovation that exists in today’s society. On October 22, 2015 Spain’s National Organization of Transplant (ONT) publicly announced that a clinical trial in search of the HIV cure will soon begin in Madrid. ONT aspires to become the world’s first clinical trial aiming to cure five individuals with HIV through HIV resistant blood transplants of genetically mutated umbilical cords. ONT has selected 157 donors that carry the genetic mutation (CCR5 Delta 32) that is completely resistant against the HIV virus. According to experts, only 1% of the population carries this gene mutation.

ONT has based their clinical trial on the only known patient to have been cured from HIV-- Timothy Brown. Timothy Brown is also considered as “The Berlin Patient.” Brown’s initial challenge began in 1995 when he was diagnosed with HIV and treated through anti-retrovirals. However, in 2006 he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia--a sickness that Dr. Gero Hutter would soon put to an end. Brown underwent a transplant using the stem cells of the bone marrow from a donor who carried the CCR5 Delta 32 Gene. Soon he was cured of the cancer as well as beginning to show increasingly diminished signs of the HIV virus.

Being an incredible feat, many have questioned the motives as to why Brown’s procedure could not have been replicated. Truth be told, Brown’s procedure was incredibly challenging as well as expensive. However, with a significant amount of research, Spain has now begun what could very well be a life-changing feat. The clinical trial specifically seeks those who have contracted HIV as well as leukemia, lymphoma, or similar illnesses. This factor is being replicated in accordance to The Berlin Patient. The project is said to begin with the first patient as soon as December 2015. Doctors anticipate curing 5 individuals with HIV within the next three years.