March 17, 2023 – The middle-aged woman who had HIV but was in remission from her leukemia after an umbilical cord stem cell transplant greater than five years ago is now considered “possibly cured.” Known as “the New York patient,” her case is notable because she identifies as biracial.
The woman is considered one of a handful of individuals considered cured or in long-term remission from HIV after a stem cell transplant. She received the transplant in 2017 and later stopped taking antiretroviral therapy, which most HIV patients must take for all times due to the virus's effects on the immune system. Stem cells with a rare mutation known to be proof against HIV are present in just 1% of the white population and are even rarer in people of other races and ethnicities.
“The HIV epidemic affects all ethnic groups, and it is extremely rare for people of color or other skin to find a sufficiently matched, unrelated adult donor,” said UCLA researcher Yvonne Bryson in a opinion“The use of cord blood cells expands the healing options for people of diverse ancestry living with HIV and in need of transplant for other diseases.”
In addition to the cord cells, the New York patient also received a transplant of cells from a relative to extend the possibilities of success. People infected with HIV who would not have one other potentially fatal health problem, akin to cancer, are unlikely to receive a stem cell transplant that would cure them, since the risks of the treatment may be fatal.
The updated report concerning the New York patient's progress after treatment was published on Thursday within the journal cellAt a press conference, Bryson said the patient had experienced “a possible cure” and researchers wanted an extended follow-up period before making a more definitive statement, in response to Live Science.
