Diagnosed HIV-positive in 1988, the 66-year-old man who was followed for leukemia has been in remission for 17 months.
- It is estimated that nearly 38 million people are still living with HIV worldwide and that one in six people living with HIV are unaware that they are a carrier.
- In France, 173,000 people are living with HIV.
Hopeful information for people affected by HIV.
On Wednesday July 27, the American research institute for cancer research City of Hope indicated that a patient followed for acute myelogenous leukemia had just been cured of HIV. HIV-positive for 33 years, he benefited from a stem cell transplant for three and a half years to treat his blood cancer.
This innovative treatment not only allowed him to overcome his cancer, but it also stopped the replication of the virus in his body. 17 months after stopping his antiretroviral therapy (ART), he is still in remission.
“I never thought I would live to see the day when I was HIV free”
The man, who preferred to remain anonymous, received his stem cell transplant when he was 63, making him the oldest patient to receive a transplant and be in remission for the HIV and leukemia, Los Angeles-based City of Hope said in a statement.
Prior to his transplant, the man received a reduced-intensity chemotherapy treatment to make the transplant more tolerable and limit the risk of complications. Since his transplant in early 2019, the man has shown no signs of the HIV virus replicating. He stopped taking his antiretroviral treatment in March 2021.”He could have stopped the therapies earlier, but he wanted to wait to be vaccinated against COVID-19″the statement said.
“When I was diagnosed with HIV in 1988, like many others, I thought it was a death sentence, said the patient. I never thought I would live to see the day when I was HIV free. It’s thanks to City of Hope that this was possible, and I’m extremely grateful.”
Hope for elderly patients carrying the virus
“We are proud to have contributed to helping the patient of City of Hope achieve remission from HIV and leukemia, said Robert Stone, President and CEO of City of Hope. It is humbling to know that our pioneering science in bone marrow and stem cell transplants, and our pursuit of the best precision cancer medicine, have helped transform this patient’s life. .”
“The case of the City of Hope patient, if the right donor can be identified, may open the possibility for more elderly patients living with HIV and blood cancers to receive stem cell transplants and be in remission for both diseasesadded Jana K. Dickter, City of Hope associate clinical professor in the division of infectious diseases.
