An exemplary care pathway
Diagnosed with HIV in 1999, the patient was treated with antiretroviral drugs, achieving an undetectable viral load in 2010. In 2020, acute myeloid leukemia was diagnosed, requiring a bone marrow transplant. The team from the Paoli-Calmettes Institute found a donor compatible with a rare genetic mutation, Delta32, which prevents HIV from entering cells.
Promising results
To date, only seven cases of a functional cure of HIV after an allogeneic bone marrow transplant, aimed at treating lymphoma or leukemia, have been reported worldwide. In six of these cases, the donor carried the Delta32 mutation in the CCR5 receptor.
Following the transplant, the patient continued her anti-retroviral treatment for three years, before stopping in October 2023, and was followed very regularly by her doctor at the Sainte-Marguerite Hospital. Further in-depth virological examinations were carried out during the monitoring period, in particular to determine the “possible virus reservoir still present in her body.” However, the tests were all negative. The results of this case were presented at international conferences in Munich and Glasgow in 2024.
Hope for the future
Although this strategy is not feasible for all patients due to its onerous nature, it offers new research opportunities and a greater understanding of HIV. The public hospitals of Marseille are now working with a Paris-based team to consolidate these results before publication.
This exceptional breakthrough demonstrates the importance of research and innovation in healthcare, offering new hope to patients living with HIV around the world.
A reminder
On May 20, 1983, a team of Institut Pasteur researchers led by Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Jean-Claude Chermann made a revolutionary discovery, identifying the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Forty years on, this discovery continues to mark a turning point in the fight against AIDS, enabling significant advances in research and treatment of this disease, notably in this article. Thanks to constant efforts in research, prevention and awareness-raising, many patients today benefit from effective antiretroviral treatments, transforming HIV into a manageable chronic disease. However, the battle is far from over, and Institut Pasteur remains at the forefront of innovation to find lasting solutions and, hopefully, one day, a definitive cure.