HIV Cured in Man After Stem Cell Transplant: Rare Success Raises Questions
Recent research reveals a seventh individual has been successfully cured of HIV following a stem cell transplant, challenging previous assumptions. Unlike the first five individuals who received HIV-resistant stem cells, this patient, and the sixth, received non-resistant cells, indicating that HIV-resistance may not be essential for a cure. This suggests that the donor cells’ ability to eliminate the patient’s remaining immune cells may be crucial in preventing viral spread. This new understanding opens up the possibility that a broader range of stem cell transplants could potentially cure HIV, but that more research is needed, and that the patient’s and donor’s genetics may play a role.
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood