HIV returns in two bone-marrow patients

[Doppel]

If you may remember, a guy with HIV who had a bone-marrow transplant was "cured" of HIV. That remains the case; it's still not detectable in him 6 years later:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/af...TA?docId=0e45a9c1-25e5-49fe-8329-cb2a11b9dc8f

However, two men recently who had bone-marrow transplants and initially showed no signs of HIV have been found to have it after all.

"The return of detectable levels of HIV in our patients is disappointing, but scientifically significant," said Timothy Heinrich, a physician-researcher in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
"Through this research we have discovered the HIV reservoir is deeper and more persistent than previously known," he said in a statement sent to AFP.

As for commentary I don't really have one, save to say this is an interesting treatment approach that has shown to not be quite as powerful as initially hoped.

 

[Jimzz]

That's sucks. I wonder if its the same strain or it mutated and then came back?

 

[Greenman]

Couldn't it be a new infection? I assume that after being cured these folks enjoyed an active sex life.

 

[Brainonska511]

That's sucks. I wonder if its the same strain or it mutated and then came back?

Couldn't it be a new infection? I assume that after being cured these folks enjoyed an active sex life.

The case that was originally cured by a bone-marrow transplant involved a donor that had a rare mutation that makes it incredibly difficult for HIV to infect cells. These new donors did not have those mutations, but it was hoped that when the new cells were made, it would be like a new infection that you could quickly suppress and kill off with anti-retroviral therapy.

Like Herpes, HIV can mix its genetic material with the host's genetic material, and if it's hiding in non-bone marrow created cells, it could re-emerge as what happened here.

 

[theeedude]

Moral of the story is get your bone marrow from that HIV resistant donor.

 

[cyclohexane]

If you may remember, a guy with HIV who had a bone-marrow transplant was "cured" of HIV. That remains the case; it's still not detectable in him 6 years later:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/af...TA?docId=0e45a9c1-25e5-49fe-8329-cb2a11b9dc8f

However, two men recently who had bone-marrow transplants and initially showed no signs of HIV have been found to have it after all.



As for commentary I don't really have one, save to say this is an interesting treatment approach that has shown to not be quite as powerful as initially hoped.

The one dude in Berlin who had a bone marrow transplant also had a rare CCR5 mutation, which made his T-cells resistant to HIV infection. Other people who get transplants are therefore unlikely to be cured like him.

 

[Moonbeam]

I wonder if anybody is looking for a way to cause that mutation to occur somatically.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Moral of the story is get your bone marrow from that HIV resistant donor.

Well that mutation isn't something you see every day. We now have a mechanism which can compel those with it to donate though.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I wonder if anybody is looking for a way to cause that mutation to occur somatically.

There's research ongoing for ways to do these types of things, but creating a demonstrated safe and effective treatment is decades away.

 

[werepossum]

There's research ongoing for ways to do these types of things, but creating a demonstrated safe and effective treatment is decades away.

One also has to wonder what side effects there may be. For example, the mutation that makes some blacks less susceptible to malaria also makes them more susceptible to sickle cell anemia. If this mutation becomes more common, it may also have negative side effects.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

One also has to wonder what side effects there may be. For example, the mutation that makes some blacks less susceptible to malaria also makes them more susceptible to sickle cell anemia. If this mutation becomes more common, it may also have negative side effects.

"What happens next", my mantra.

No one knows what will happen when a fix like this is attempted. Sure you can do animal studies, but if they were accurate then we'd all be living perfectly healthy lives and stay young for half a millenia. Look at what can be done with mice.

What if this was done and it was found that untreatable cancers formed a decade down the road? Whoever came up with the treatment would be destroyed, with many of those who call for their head on a platter being the ones who would complain that no one wants a cure because it's more profitable to have a treatment. Then what if a safe and effective treatment were found later? Oops, you die anyway. Sorry.

This isn't an easy sort of problem to deal from a scientific, technical or legal perspective. Still, people will keep trying and one day there will be a solution. This isn't as hard a thing as flu or the common cold in that regard.

 

[MountainKing]

Moral of the story is get your bone marrow from that HIV resistant donor.

Moral of the story. Have protected sex.

 

[werepossum]

"What happens next", my mantra.

No one knows what will happen when a fix like this is attempted. Sure you can do animal studies, but if they were accurate then we'd all be living perfectly healthy lives and stay young for half a millenia. Look at what can be done with mice.

What if this was done and it was found that untreatable cancers formed a decade down the road? Whoever came up with the treatment would be destroyed, with many of those who call for their head on a platter being the ones who would complain that no one wants a cure because it's more profitable to have a treatment. Then what if a safe and effective treatment were found later? Oops, you die anyway. Sorry.

This isn't an easy sort of problem to deal from a scientific, technical or legal perspective. Still, people will keep trying and one day there will be a solution. This isn't as hard a thing as flu or the common cold in that regard.

All true.

On the bright side, we're well on our way to creating a race of immortal white mice. So, you know, if we ever need that, we're golden.