HuffPost: Stem Cell Transplant Cures HIV In 'Berlin Patient'

[AsburySkinsFan]

I know that there is at least one conspiracy theorist on the board that believes that AIDS is a hoax. But at least to the rest of the thinking and rational world this is good news.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/1..._n_796521.html

On the heels of World AIDS Day comes a stunning medical breakthrough: Doctors believe an HIV-positive man who underwent a stem cell transplant has been cured as a result of the procedure.
Timothy Ray Brown, also known as the "Berlin Patient," received the transplant in 2007 as part of a lengthy treatment course for leukemia. His doctors recently published a report in the journal Blood affirming that the results of extensive testing "strongly suggest that cure of HIV infection has been achieved."
Brown's case paves a path for constructing a permanent cure for HIV through genetically-engineered stem cells.
Last week, Time named another AIDS-related discovery to its list of the Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs of 2010. Recent studies show that healthy individuals who take antiretrovirals, medicine commonly prescribed for treating HIV, can reduce their risk of contracting the disease by up to 73 percent.
While these developments by no means prove a cure for the virus has been found, they can certainly provide hope for the more than 33 million people living with HIV worldwide. Alongside such findings, global efforts to combat the epidemic have accelerated as of late, with new initiatives emerging in the Philippines and South Africa this week.

[Tulane Skins Fan]

Note to self: sell stock in Trojan condoms NOW!

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Lol, I missed Ken claiming AIDS is a hoax. Geez...

Anyway, this is amazing news. Thank God we finally opened up stem cell research here.

[elkabong82]

If this is true, it is phenomenal news. In an age where pharmaceutical companies make living with a disease a priority over curing it (because multiple prescriptions are more profitable than a 1 time deal), it's good to see a major disease is possibly cured.

If only we could get more people to preach safe sex and supply poorer countries with condoms, instead of allowing various church missions to condemn birth control in those regions, then the AIDS problem would reduce as well.

Plus, if this study is true, then that's yet another reason to advocate stem cell research, instead of banning it.

[Dallascrushers]

I mean this is awesome....just a little confused on how a stem cell transplant cured the patient's HIV...quite interesting

[PeterMP]

If this is true, it is phenomenal news. In an age where pharmaceutical companies make living with a disease a priority over curing it (because multiple prescriptions are more profitable than a 1 time deal), it's good to see a major disease is possibly cured.

If only we could get more people to preach safe sex and supply poorer countries with condoms, instead of allowing various church missions to condemn birth control in those regions, then the AIDS problem would reduce as well.

Plus, if this study is true, then that's yet another reason to advocate stem cell research, instead of banning it.

They're just setting them up to get something else:

"However, CCR5 apparently plays a role in mediating resistance to West Nile virus infection in humans, as CCR5-Δ32 individuals have shown to be disproportionately at higher risk of West Nile virus in studies,[9] indicating that not all of the functions of CCR5 may be compensated by other receptors."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CCR5#CCR5-.CE.9432

---------- Post added December-14th-2010 at 05:24 PM ----------

I mean this is awesome....just a little confused on how a stem cell transplant cured the patient's HIV...quite interesting

In order to infect you, the HIV virus must get into the t-cells. To actually get into the t-cells, they have to interact with a protein that is on the outside of the t-cell (as a general anology, they have to be able to handle the door knob/lock). They have given this person cells that make t-cells, but the protein the HIV use to get into the t-cells has been changed (they changed the lock).

The change isn't drastic and is actually found pretty commonly in people in northern Europe. It is believed that small pox uses the same door/lock so this mutation might have arisen as an immunity to small pox through evolution.

[No Excuses]

Stem cell and genetic engineering has huge benefits. We need more government funding in both fields.

[SnyderShrugged]

Thats fantastic if true!

I deeply pray for a similar advancement in Cancer research. I have many relatives who will die in the coming years/months due to cancer so its an important one for me.

[DarrellsMyHero28]

NOO!

STOP PLAYING GOD!



This is phenomenal news.

I can't embed for some reason, but this makes me think of Family Guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6C6IKBezjA

[Burgold]

This is great news, but also makes me annoyed with our previous administration. I want US leading the way on these innovations. I want us to have the patents and discoveries that are so important and significant. The de-funding and backwards thinking has made us spectators when we should be leaders.

[No Excuses]

This is great news, but also makes me annoyed with our previous administration. I want US leading the way on these innovations. I want us to have the patents and discoveries that are so important and significant. The de-funding and backwards thinking has made us spectators when we should be leaders.

This!

My boss was telling me earlier how much better our funding has gotten ever since Obama has taken over. It would be a real shame if Obama loses his presidency and the person who replaces him doesn't follow up on his initiatives to provide better funding to scientific research.

[twa]

Plus, if this study is true, then that's yet another reason to advocate stem cell research, instead of banning it.

Who banned it?....couldn't have been the president that expanded funding greatly for stem cell research

Anyone know what the cell source was?

[Kosher Ham]

This is great news, but also makes me annoyed with our previous administration. I want US leading the way on these innovations. I want us to have the patents and discoveries that are so important and significant. The de-funding and backwards thinking has made us spectators when we should be leaders.

I agree with this post 100%. Leaders.

We fall behind on so many stupid things that we should be the firsts for. It started with the lazy car companies and spread to so many other areas.

[spjunkies]

Great news!!!!

Let's hope this opens the door for future research.

[Mickalino]

Great news!!!!

Let's hope this opens the door for future research.

It will probably open the doors for more future porn stars, more than anything