Man cured of HIV after stem cell transplant from brother: 'It's like winning the lottery twice'
An HIV patient said his experience was “like winning the lottery twice” after he was virtually cured of the disease with the help of his brother, metro.co.uk reports.
The 64-year-old man known as the “Oslo patient” has been in remission for five years after receiving a stem cell transplant.
His brother, who was a donor, was found to be resistant to the virus, which, if left untreated, can be fatal.
Although existing therapies can keep HIV under control, the virus remains extremely difficult to completely eliminate because it can hide in cells.
The “Oslo Patient” was initially diagnosed with HIV in 2006 at the age of 44.
Later, in 2017, doctors discovered he was also suffering from myelodysplastic syndrome, a form of blood cancer that can be fatal.
But in a remarkable twist, doctors lucked out when they turned to the patient's older brother, who turned out to have the right gene, known as CCR5, which prevents HIV from entering the body.
This protective mutation is present in about one in a hundred people in Europe.
Even when a donor with this genetic variant is found, stem cell transplantation is only suitable for patients suffering from both HIV and blood cancer.
Just two years after the intervention, the man stopped antiretroviral treatment, which until then had kept his symptoms under control.
However, blood, bone marrow and gut tests showed no trace of the virus.
Anders Eivind Myhre, of Oslo University Hospital, said doctors were pretty sure the Norwegian patient had been cured “for all practical purposes”.
The patient said this success was “like winning the lottery twice,” AFP reported.
He added that the patient is now feeling well and has “more energy than he knows what to do with.”
It is believed to be the first time an HIV patient has received a stem cell transplant from a family member.
More than 3,000 Britons were diagnosed with HIV in 2024 and the disease caused 643 deaths in the UK in the same year.
The first person to be officially declared cured of HIV was Timothy Ray Brown in 2008.
He became known as the “Berlin Patient” after the city where he was treated for leukemia.
