Second person to be HIV-free spells hope for the global Aids fight

For the second time in history, a person carrying the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has been cured.

Almost 12 years after the first person became HIV-free, doctors have managed to replicate that success, something medical professionals all over the world tried long and hard to do.

An article details how the second patient is in “long-term remission”, similar to the first one.

How does this ‘cure’ work?

The  researchers prefer publicly calling the treatment a “long-term remission” because the idea of this being a fool-proof cure for HIV is inaccurate.

It is difficult to officially designate a treatment as a “cure” if there are only two known instances of it, they add.

Nonetheless, both treatments have a commonality: bone-marrow transplants. The transplants initially intended to treat cancer in the two patients.

A California resident, initially known only as the “Berlin patient”, became the first to be HIV-free. He had two stem cell transplants that cleared his body of HIV, according to reports.

It is reported that both patients’ immune systems were first “wiped out” via chemotherapy and then replaced with stem cell transplants and non-malignant donor cells. 

The bone marrow transplants infused their body with much-needed immunity, which then resisted the spread of HIV.

Such a transplant is not a realistic mass technique yet because it is very risky, has serious complications, and is difficult to replicate.

The report  says that despite efforts to duplicate Brown’s treatment, patients tested positive around nine months after they stopped taking anti-HIV drugs. 

However, the second person, who prefers to remain anonymous and is being called the “London patient”, has been off anti-HIV drugs for over 16 months now and has tested negative for the virus.

Hope for future treatments?

Currently, doctors prescribe anti-HIV drugs, such as non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors or entry inhibitors, that not only prevent HIV cells from duplication but also prevent them from entering white blood cells.

However, Brown’s doctor said, “By repeating the procedure in another patient, there is more evidence that the ‘Berlin patient’ is not an exception.”

The London patient’s treatment was also much less harsh than Brown’s, giving medical professionals and patients renewed hope.

The London patient told the reporters, “I feel a sense of responsibility to help doctors understand how it happened so they can develop the science.”

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                         FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/           

                                                                           FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                  https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com