Two patients, who had been living with HIV for approximately 30 years, have had no detectable HIV in their blood for the last several years— after receiving bone marrow transplants for lymphoma. However, researchers say that it is far too early to claim that the transplants “cure” HIV, and that even if it were possible to use “the C-word,” it is not an attractive option for curing HIV patients in general.
Bone marrow transplants are expensive, and patients that receive them have a 15 to 20 percent mortality rate within the first few years of their transplants. The two HIV-positive patients received bone marrow transplants as a treatment for cancer. Yet, their results suggest that bone marrow holds promise as a treatment for HIV. Only time will tell if bone marrow offers a cure for people with HIV. Read more here.
Hofstra Bioethics 