Recently I received an email titled ‘A startling research finding’ from the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfar). It described a poster presented at the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston, where a group of German physicians, appeared to clear HIV from a 42 year old American living in Berlin. The patient was treated with anti HIV medication prior to being diagnosed with acute leukaemia. After treating the leukaemia with powerful drugs and radiation, a bone marrow transplant was performed with a donor who was not only blood compatible but also had a natural occurring gene mutation known as delta 32 CCR5 (which 1% of Europeans have). This mutation means that HIV is not able to attach itself to cells making it virtually immune to most HIV strains. After 20 months, it would appear that this American patient is now clear of HIV.
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As a person living with HIV, the prospect of gene therapy some day providing a potential cure to HIV both tantalised and excited me. However the science is still many years away from providing a practical approach to the many millions of people with HIV. The cost of the treatment is estimated to be $250000. A bone marrow transplant procedure is very complex and painful. Thirty percent of people die from the procedure and locating a suitable donor is difficult. And the question remains will his HIV be clear in the long term.
Still I remain hopeful that the science challenges will be overcome and that in my life time I will be cured of HIV. What would I do differently if there was a cure? What would it mean to our communities that have adapted and thrived despite HIV? Could we retain the wisdom gained from this experience, or would we quickly forget and move on next?
I recall individuals who from time to time described how they wasted their life thinking that death was around the corner. Anti HIV medication changed these beliefs for most. Could a gene therapy cure be approaching? Would it change your life? Would lost dreams, relationships and friendships be found again?
I encourage you not to wait for a functional cure to HIV before you grasp the opportunities to fulfil your furthermost personal desires. Perhaps HIV’s greatest legacy will be bearing witness to love and the triumph of human spirit.
