AIDS Cured by Transplant

[rnatalli]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101215/ap_on_he_me/us_med_aids_man_cured;_ylt=Aobphkifq835RvXhNC.TBRcDW7oF;_ylu=X3oDMTJybnBscDBnBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAxMjE1L3VzX21lZF9haWRzX21hbl9jdXJlZARwb3MDMTIEc2VjA3luX2FydGljbGVfc3VtbWFyeV9saXN0BHNsawNmdWxsbmJzcHN0b3I-

Talk about luck. Hopefully this leads to some new directions in curing this terrible disease.

 

[Rob Babcock]

It would be amazing if this turned into a true cure for the disease. I wonder if the gene therapy is super expensive? Most of the people on this planet dying of AIDS are very, very poor.

 

[s162216]

The article is pretty misleading, it was nothing to do with gene therapy but with a bone marrow transplant from a donor that coincidently actually had a natural immunity to HIV so when the persons immune system regrew from the donors stem cells in the bone marrow it was able to get rid of the AIDS that had developed from the HIV infection. Despite what the article says, bone marrow contains the stem cells, adult blood does not as the cells have already differentiated so the part where it says 'more commonly from blood stem cells' is completely incorrect. Thats only true in umbilical cord blood.

Newspapers, web news and magazines should seriously stop writing sensationalist things about 'new cures' for diseases and medical conditions as most of it is complete crap and wrote completely out of context as to what the findings are and what the scientists are saying. Yesterday 'The Daily Mail' in the UK wrote about how theres a 'new drug' that prolongs life by stimulating the immune system yet half of it just seemed sensationalist rubbish. Not that the drug would actually help me anyway if it works as they wrote as I don't naturally produce antibodies so nothing would happen.

 

[zildjian]

Newspapers, web news and magazines should seriously stop writing sensationalist things about 'new cures' for diseases and medical conditions as most of it is complete crap and wrote completely out of context as to what the findings are and what the scientists are saying.

Agree 110%!!!! I had a patient today in my office who I diagnosed with HIV approx 2 years ago. He had heard about this "blood transplant cure for HIV", and he was asking me about it with much excitement. It's sad. This gets people's hopes up when they read the headlines and think GREAT THE BATTLE IS WON! I CAN BE CURED!!! Then I get to be the bearer of bad news and try to go into the specifics and explain it's not a simple miracle blood transfusion procedure. Makes for a pretty sad day.
-Brad

 

[Alex2507]

Then I get to be the bearer of bad news ... Makes for a pretty sad day.

That must be very tough indeed. Let me tell you that Rick and Doug were none too happy about having to roll up the Twister mat or break out the raincoats.

... just hoping to add a little levity to an incredibly tough situation. Being on the outside looking in I'd like to remind you that you are providing care and already making things better so you should feel good about what you do in a day. Maybe from your perspective it's easy to let it shift into feeling bad and every so often it helps to look into my monkey face and know that at least one of us gets it.