A 44-year-old man in England is possibly the first person in history to becured of HIV. Scientists working on an experimental new therapy say that the virus is now completely undetectable in his blood.
Currently, antiretroviral therapies can target active T-cells which are infected with HIV but they cannot treat dormant T-cells. This means that patients bodies continue to reproduce the virus.
Working in two stages, the new treatment consists of a vaccine to help the body recognize any HIV-infected cells and a drug called Vorinostat activates the dormant T-cells. This method could give a patient’s immune system the tools it so desperately needs.
The patient has not been identified but we know he’s a social care worker in London. He is cautiously thrilled about the results saying, “It would be great if a cure has happened. My last blood test was a couple of weeks ago and there is no detectable virus.”