Two new cases of HIV infection remission were announced this week during the 26th International AIDS Conference, held in Rio de Janeiro. The patients underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplants and show no detectable virus in their blood, bringing the total number of individuals who achieved this result through this procedure to 13.
The new cases involve a man from the United States, diagnosed with HIV and acute myeloid leukemia, and a patient from Germany, infected with HIV and the hepatitis B virus. In both procedures, stem cells from donors who have a specific genetic mutation, CCR5 delta32, which confers natural resistance to the virus, were used.
The mutation acts by preventing HIV from binding to the CD4 receptor on defense cells, making it harder for the virus to enter the body. With the transplant, the patient receives new defense cells that are born with this genetic protection, making new generations of lymphocytes resistant to the infection.
To validate the effectiveness of the treatment, the patients discontinued the use of antiretroviral medications. In the case of the patient from Kansas City, the virus was not detected for 14 months, while in the patient from Essen, the period of absence of the virus was 12 months. In the second case, there was a relapse of the hepatitis B virus after medication was suspended.
Although the term "cure" is frequently used, experts clarify that the phenomenon is technically a remission. This occurs because it is not yet possible to guarantee whether the virus will remain absent from the body in the long term or if there will be a return of the infection after the observation period.
The research highlights that the CCR5 delta32 mutation is extremely rare, present in only about 10% of the population of northern Europe. The scientists responsible for the studies emphasize the need for continuous follow-up and monthly tests to monitor the clinical progress of the treated patients.
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