5. cure confirmed: Good news on HIV control
Will HIV be curable in the future after all? Many people, not only queers, follow the current reports, which definitely raise reason for hope. Because: In the meantime, a fifth cure of a person suffering from HIV has been confirmed!
The medical procedure was similar to those of the past (and thus to those of the four previous patients). A patient with cancer who had HIV underwent stem cell transplantation.
In the process, he was cured of his HIV disease. Cures of this kind and the effects of stem cell transplants were also discussed at the International AIDS Conference in Montreal.
Can AIDS be cured in the future?
Of course, it would be too early to draw conclusions here. One thing is certain, however: current scientific developments give hope and reason to believe that AIDS may be cured in the future.
Some scientists emphasize in this context that the procedure that had now led to a cure in the five patients could not be applied to all AIDS patients. But: This can be built upon.
Should it actually be possible to effectively combat HIV in the future, it would be a real milestone that would positively change the lives of many people. Nevertheless, despite all the enthusiasm, it is important to remain realistic. After all, when viewed soberly, it could still take around 15 to 20 years before a therapy aimed at as many people as possible could be officially introduced. However, there certainly seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel.
Why is stem cell therapy not suitable for everyone who has HIV?
It sounds so simple: Stem cell therapy has already led to people being cured of AIDS five times!
However, it should not be forgotten that this type of treatment is by no means a walk in the park. Stem cell therapies are highly complex and a real burden for the body. Moreover, the patient may not survive his stem cell therapy because the organism has already become much too weak. For this reason alone, it is simply impossible to apply this procedure to all AIDS patients.
In the five cases mentioned, this was a "side effect", because the actual aim was to combat an existing cancer.
However, the basic idea of relying on this type of "exchange" could at least form the basis for AIDS treatment in the future. Currently, however, the risk of dying or suffering serious damage from stem cell transplantation would simply be too high. So an alternative is needed, which (unfortunately) will not be available overnight.
The fight against AIDS - what progress has been made?
The finding that stem cell therapy can cure AIDS is cause for optimism. And even if there is still a lot of research and discovery to be done: There seems to be more movement again in the fight against AIDS.
Other news, however, make us think. The Corona pandemic in particular has meant that less research has been carried out into AIDS. In addition, current statistics show that the number of people infected with HIV has risen again in many countries over the last two years. But: Scientists from all over the world agree that AIDS is an issue that definitely should not be neglected. It therefore remains to be seen how the new findings surrounding stem cell therapy and co. will possibly help to eradicate the disease - ideally - in the future.
At the same time, of course, education, advice and support are still needed. And most of those responsible are obviously (fortunately) aware of this.
Did you already know? Cologne is now the "most sex-positive" city in Germany