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At the 23rd International Conference on AIDS Treatment, researchers presented the case of a patient who “recovered” from HIV after taking antiviral medication. He has maintained long-term remission of HIV for years.
- A 34-year-old Brazilian may be the first person to “recover” from HIV in the world thanks to drug treatment alone. A man participated in a clinical trial and HIV has been in remission for over a year
- The research that was presented at the HIV and AIDS conference could prove groundbreaking, although more research is needed to confirm its effectiveness
- So far, we have heard of two cases of long-term HIV remission in two men who had a bone marrow transplant as part of their treatment for leukemia and lymphoma. After the transplant, the virus “disappeared”
Researchers from Sao Paulo presented the results of a study of a 34-year-old Brazilian who was diagnosed with HIV in 2012. After the experimental treatment, the man was “cured” of the infection. His case may be a breakthrough, but many studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of the therapy.
In 2015, Ricardo Diaz of the Federal University of Sao Paulo and his colleagues recruited HIV patients who were taking standard antiretroviral therapy for a clinical trial. Among the volunteers was a man from Sao Paulo who, along with four other subjects, was assigned to the most intensive treatment group. They were given a total of five antiretroviral drugs for a yearand also nicotinamide, which theoretically can stimulate cells to ‘wake up’ a latent virus, making them more susceptible to an immune response.
It is called the human immunodeficiency virus. It belongs to the retroviruses. It permanently impairs the functioning of the human immune system.
This disease is also known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is caused by the HIV virus.
After 48 weeks of intensive treatment, five study participants returned to the regular use of the three usual HIV medications. The standard treatment was for three years, after which the subjects stopped treatment. In four of the subjects, it was quickly noticed that the virus had returned after stopping the medication. One patient’s body reacted differently.
For the 34-year-old, 66 weeks have passed without signs of infection. Sensitive tests which detect the genetic material of the virus in the blood give a negative result. There are also no antibodies to HIV in the patient’s blood. Interestingly, during the intensive care period, this man was the only man who had the virus detected twice in standard blood tests. The lead author of the study, Ricardo Diaz, explains that nicotinamide stimulated latent virus particles, which resulted in a sharp increase in virus production.
«I always try to be a bit of the devil’s advocate, but in this case I’m an optimist. Perhaps this treatment strategy is not good for everyone as it only worked for one in five people. Perhaps this patient has been cured. We do not know for sure, but such a possibility exists »said Diaz.
Diaz’s study has few limitations, but it is the starting point for further research into effective “treatment” of HIV. It is not known how long the man was taking antiviral drugs before starting the study, or how long it took from being infected until the virus was detected in the body. It is also unclear how nicotinamide would stimulate dormant and infected cells.
Today, people with HIV must take medication for the rest of their lives to suppress the virus from multiplying. Treatment is so effective that patients can live longer and do not infect others. Unfortunately, such treatments are expensive and cumbersome, and developing drug resistance is an additional problem.
Two Cures for HIV
So far, two cases of “cure” of HIV are known. The first mention was made in 2007, when HIV-infected Timothy Brown underwent a bone marrow transplant to treat leukemia. Since the transplant, Brown has been “virus free”.
The second case of “cure” of HIV concerns Adam Castillejo from London. In 2016, the man also underwent bone marrow transplant surgery because he had lymphoma. The bone marrow donor had a genetic mutation that made him resistant to HIV infection. After the transplant, it turned out that Adam’s body also began to immunize. The man was on antiretroviral drugs until October 2017, and announced in March 2019 that he was in “prolonged remission”.
The described Brazilian may be the first HIV patient to be cured only with drugs.
The editorial board recommends:
- Where did HIV come from?
- “HIV-infected and treated before the age of twenty can live up to seventy”
- Get an HIV test. Twice