Can AIDS be cured?

Timothy Brown, more commonly known as the Berlin patient, is the only patient in the world to be officially declared as cured from HIV (AIDS). Simply looking at online forums is enough to show that many people wrongly think that we can be cured of this disease. This myth encourages risky behaviours. For example, according to a recent survey, 33 % of college students never wear condoms during sexual intercourse.

THE BERLIN patient CASE

Brown was declared free of HIV after he received a bone marrow transplant as a treatment of leukemia (often called blood cancer). The donor had an extremely rare genetic mutation which prevents HIV from reproducing in cells. After the transplant, Brown’s immune system gradually eliminated any traces of the virus in his body. Although researchers are deeply interested in the genetic mutation that caused resistance to the virus, no treatment is yet available.

WE HAVE NOT CURED AIDS

Approximately 2 years ago, the media became excited by the announcement of the functional cure of an American girl born to an HIV-positive mother. The baby received antiretroviral within hours of her birth and until she was 18 months old. Then, the treatment was interrupted for 6 months, but despite the lack of medicine, the viral load remained very low. The child’s immune system had, in a sense, managed to master the virus, giving rise to the term “functional cure.”

This kind of case is also known among adults. The VISCONTI cohort consisted of a small number of HIV-positive patients who started treatment very early after diagnosis. After an average of 3 years, they decided to stop treatment, and 8 years later without additional medication, their viral loads remain undetectable. Although none of these patients is a carrier of the genetic mutation known to block HIV infection, they belong to the minority of individuals who can resist the disease. The doctors think that, for some people, starting treatment very early limits damage to the immune system, allowing management of the infection.

If scientists manage to conduct early screening and treatment for all HIV patients, this does not amount to a cure. The virus remains in the body, and when the viral load becomes undetectable in the absence of treatments, we speak of prolonged remission—not a cure.

Despite the scientific progress, the fight against HIV AIDS is far from being won. The disease always kills, and prevention remains the one truly effective weapon. Therefore, protect yourself, and help the research progress.

Maureen Diament

Sources: SMEREP, ANRS