Stem Cells and HIV/AIDS. Positive results in laboratories and significant advancements in regenerative medicine give hope to scientists that the safety and efficacy will be equally strong in clinical trials. For individuals with HIV, it is good news that we may find better treatments to keep the disease under control.
Could stem cells become a resource for testing new medical treatments?
Researchers could use specialized cells generated in large quantities from stem cell lines to assess the safety of new drugs, thus reducing the need for animal experimentation. In this regard, researchers are already using other types of cell lines. For example, researchers utilize cancer cell lines to analyze potential anti-tumor drugs and activate an immune system with a special defense against HIV.
Stem Cells and HIV/AIDS. Representative Cases of Cure with Stem Cells
- The Berlin Patient. In 2007, Timothy Ray Brown, who was HIV-positive, underwent a procedure known as a bone marrow transplant performed by a team of doctors in Berlin, Germany, including Gero Hütter, while they were experimenting with a transplanted stem cell for leukemia.
- London Patient. Check out our article on The Berlin Patient, Timothy Ray Brown. Adam Castillejo, known as the ‘London Patient,’ is one of three people in the world who have recovered from HIV and cancer. The ‘London Patient,’ a 43-year-old Venezuelan, achieved a remarkable cure for both the human immunodeficiency virus and cancer, which are typically fatal diseases for the majority of individuals.
- Düsseldorf Patient. Nature Medicine reported on the ‘Düsseldorf Patient,’ the third person to successfully recover from HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, after receiving a stem cell transplant. He was being treated for leukemia – a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are produced – when he received HIV-resistant stem cells from a bone marrow donor.
- For the first time, a woman has been able to rid herself of HIV after a stem cell transplant. The so-called New York Patient, whose case has been published in the journal Cell, is the fourth person to achieve remission from HIV infection after a very specific transplant: of stem cells that, in addition to being compatible, have a mutation that prevents the virus from entering cells. Check out our article on Woman Cured of HIV after Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplant.
Future of HIV-Resistant Stem Cell Technique
Researchers are conducting several tests to use stem cells obtained from the patient themselves and genetically modify them to have the CCR5Δ32/Δ32 mutation, eliminating the need for donor cells.
The team of virologists who treated the Düsseldorf Patient has developed transplants for other individuals with HIV and cancer using stem cells from donors with this mutation, but they emphasize that it is too early to claim they are free of HIV.
The Düsseldorf Patient stated that the bone marrow transplant was a challenging journey and that he plans to dedicate part of his life to raising funds to support research.
Stem Cells and HIV/AIDS. If you would like to delve further into the world of stem cells, I invite you to read our article “What Are Stem Cells?“
