Por the first time in France, a woman showed signs of functional cure for HIV after an allogeneic bone marrow transplant. This exceptional case occurred at Sainte-Marguerite hospital in Marseille at the Human Immunodeficiency Information and Care Center (Cisih).
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Diagnosed with HIV in 1999, this patient was treated with antiretrovirals, but it was in 2010 that her treatment really bore fruit, making her viral load “undetectable”. However, as Dr Sylvie Bregigeon explains in a press release, “an undetectable viral load is not synonymous with cure”, because traces of the virus can remain latent.
In 2020, the patient was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, which led her to receive an allogeneic bone marrow transplant. The donor carried the Delta32 genetic mutation in the CCR5 gene, a “co-receptor used by the HIV virus as an entry point into the cells of people it has infected”. After the transplant, the patient continued her treatment for three years.
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Since stopping the medication in October 2023, tests have confirmed the total absence of virus in his body. “The results remained negative, and his CD4 + T lymphocyte count increased significantly,” said Dr. Olivia Zaegel-Faucher, referring physician. For Dr Bregigeon: “We can talk about remission of HIV infection and a potential case of cure, the first in France and the 8e in the world. »
ALSO READ Eradicate HIV in 2030? It's possible, but it's not a givenHowever, long-term follow-up will be necessary to confirm these results and ensure their sustainability. This strategy of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is, however, not a generalizable solution. In particular, it requires intensive chemotherapy, which makes it only possible in the context of serious illnesses such as leukemia or lymphoma.
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