A 53-year-old man in Germany, referred to as “the Dusseldorf patient,” has officially become the fifth person confirmed to be cured of HIV. His doctors have reported that he has shown no detectable virus in his body, even four years after stopping his HIV medication. This confirmation follows earlier announcements that were initially shared at a conference in 2019, but could not be verified as a cure until now.

Similar to the small group of individuals cured before him, the Dusseldorf patient’s recovery involved a high-risk stem cell transplant used primarily to treat cancer. This procedure effectively replaces a person’s immune system and, in rare cases like this one, has led to an HIV cure. The success in these few confirmed cases gives researchers valuable insights into what it may take to develop a safer, more broadly available cure in the future.

The Dusseldorf patient joins the ranks of the Berlin, London, City of Hope, and New York patients who were similarly cured after receiving stem cell transplants from donors carrying a genetic mutation that prevents HIV from entering immune cells. Although these cases remain rare, they highlight the remarkable progress that continues to be made against a virus once considered incurable.

With approximately 38.4 million people worldwide living with HIV, modern treatments already help individuals lead long and healthy lives. Now, each new case of HIV cure brings fresh optimism to the global community, as scientists draw closer to understanding how to one day make this outcome accessible to everyone in need.

Source: ABC News

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/5th-person-confirmed-cured-hiv/story?id=97323361