Long-Term Control of HIV by CCR5 Delta32/Delta32 Stem-Cell Transplantation

Moral of the story: There may be a cure for HIV infection, and we may find it soon. This person was cured of HIV thanks to a bone marrow transplantation (he had leukemia) that inserted a certain type of stem cell into his body that did not allow for HIV infection of the immune system. Incredible. Notice they are much more cautious than I and have called it long-term control. Any way you cut it, this is huge.

Long-Term Control of HIV by CCR5 Delta32/Delta32 Stem-Cell Transplantation
Gero Hütter, M.D., Daniel Nowak, M.D., Maximilian Mossner, B.S., Susanne Ganepola, M.D., Arne Müßig, M.D., Kristina Allers, Ph.D., Thomas Schneider, M.D., Ph.D., Jörg Hofmann, Ph.D., Claudia Kücherer, M.D., Olga Blau, M.D., Igor W. Blau, M.D., Wolf K. Hofmann, M.D., and Eckhard Thiel, M.D.
SUMMARY
Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) requires the presence of a CD4 receptor and a chemokine receptor, principally chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5). Homozygosity for a 32-bp deletion in the CCR5 allele provides resistance against HIV-1 acquisition. We transplanted stem cells from a donor who was homozygous for CCR5 delta32 in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia and HIV-1 infection. The patient remained without viral rebound 20 months after transplantation and discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy. This outcome demonstrates the critical role CCR5 plays in maintaining HIV-1 infection.