HIV Positive Man Cured

[AllanSwann]

when you say alot how much are you talking about 100,000's or 1,000,000's? just wounderin because my mom passed away from it last year. and her medical bills from ucla were 300k+

[Tomoplata]

Apparently it was because of a genetic immunity to HIV that's very rare. Super interesting though.

[Jason Hyatt]

Apparently it was because of a genetic immunity to HIV that's very rare. Super interesting though.

The CCR5-delta32 allele confers immunity by preventing HIV from entering the CD4 T-cells. HIV uses CCR5 as a coreceptor to enter the cell. People who carry two copies of the CCR5-delta32 allele (homozygous) do not express CCR5 on their T-cells so the virus cannot enter and replicate. The allele is found at frequencies of 2−5% throughout Europe, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. It emerged during the Middle Ages and was naturally selected for as a result of either bubonic plague or smallpox; most likely smallpox.

[Taylor Culbertson]

I feel less worse about not using a condom with that hooker now.

[Robert Kipness]

Sucks tommy morrison is out of his prime, this could have been useful back then

[slideyfoot]

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/1...ll-transplant/

sweet, i hate how fox news spins it tho, better more scientific explanation... http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/hiv...67_19563.shtml

Interesting. The CCR5-delta32 allele has been known to impact HIV transmission and progression for quite a while, but this is the first CCR5-delta32 stem-cell transplant I'm aware of. Very, very cool; awesome post!

Side note: the incidence and prevalence of the allele is a classic study in natural selection. The CCR5-delta32 allele is found almost exclusively in those of European descent. It emerged about 700 years ago when there was a mutation (a 32-base pair deletion) in the gene that codes for CCR5. CCR5 is a protein expressed on the surface of CD4 T-cells that HIV uses as a co-receptor. The 32-base pair deletion means that those heterozygous for the allele express much less CCR5 and those homozygous for the mutation express none at all. As it turns, out smallpox also uses the CCR5 protein as a co-receptor. The epidemic of smallpox that raged through Europe almost 1000 years ago resulted in a selective pressure that conferred a benefit to having less CCR5 expressed on CD4 T-cells. Those with the mutation had significantly increased immunity to smallpox. This allowed the gene to spread through Europe and it's why some people today have an immunity to a disease that didn't even exist 700 years ago. If anybody is interested in the long version (with math and everything!) just ask. Biology is awesome! Dorks of the world unite!

Thanks for the links and info - very interesting, particularly as my PhD thesis is related to AIDS (though on a much, much lower medical level, as it's in English Literature rather than any of the sciences). On the very unlikely off-chance anyone wants further info on that, some links to the poetry and medicine stuff I've taught at the bottom of this.

[Matthew Taylor]

He's cured? Are they positive?

They're more than just positive, they're HIV positive