What once seemed like a rare occurrence may now be showing a promising trend. Since Timothy Ray Brown’s groundbreaking case in 2007, six other HIV patients have been cured through stem cell treatments. While blocking the virus traditionally requires two genetic mutations, recent evidence suggests that stem cells with just one mutation may also be effective.
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Stem Cell
The latest case involves Johann (a pseudonym), who stopped taking his HIV medications in September 2018. Six years later, he remains healthy, with no detectable traces of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in his system. If further validation confirms this result, Johann would become the seventh person to overcome what was once considered an incurable virus since its identification in May 1983.
In his 40s, Johann is already being compared to Timothy Ray Brown, often referred to as the “Berlin Patient.” Brown, diagnosed with HIV in 1995 while a university student in Berlin, lived for a decade on the then-newly introduced protease inhibitors. After being diagnosed with leukemia, he underwent a stem cell transplant on February 6, 2007, as part of his cancer treatment. He ceased HIV medications that same day and, until his death in September 2020, no traces of the virus were ever found in his body.
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