Is Stem Cell Transplant the most-awaited answer for HIV treatment?
Experts have been tirelessly studying for new development in HIV treatment and they saw possibilities in stem cell transplant.
People affected by the human immunodeficiency viruses have been increasing in number over the years.
A report stated that four pregnant women were included in the list of people with HIV in the Philippines.
In the country, prevention is the only solution as of now as there is no proven cure yet for HIV treatment.
On the other hand, a report from Healthcare stated that a person with the infection appears to be cured a stem cell transplant procedure. The said person was already the second patient.
The unidentified patient reportedly is HIV-free for eight months now.
In 2008, the first patient to undergo the said procedure was Timothy Ray Brown. Ten years later, he is still free of HIV, according to the report.
Both of them received the transplant procedure for their cancer therapy but not specifically for their HIV.
Stem cell transplant procedure is a process of replacing unhealthy, infected cells, with healthy blood cell precursors.
However, this procedure also has its negative side. One can acquire common complications such as infection (often pneumonia), sepsis, bleeding, organ failure, and chronic graft vs. host disease, which happens when the donor cells attack the recipient’s tissue.
According to the report, 25 to 40 percent of patients will die a year after the transplant.
Stem cell transplant procedure costs $20,000 to $30,000. In some cases, it can reach up to $350,000 to $800,000, based on the report.
Dr. Melanie Thompson, a leading HIV researcher and clinician stated this:
“In reality, we must focus our attention and our money on the half of people living with HIV in the US who are not in routine care and who do not have suppressed virus. These individuals are not benefiting from our scientific discoveries and may continue to transmit the virus to others because their virus is not undetectable.
Likewise we must scale up PrEP and PEP.”
What can you say about this?
