The study of a man whose body kept HIV under control has brought scientists closer to a finding a cure using the human immune system.
They are hoping to develop a “kick and kill” method, where a chemical would flush the virus out of hiding and a boosted immune system would kill the cells producing it.
The 59-year-old man had HIV and myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow, where white blood cells are produced. To treat the cancer, his bone marrow was removed and replaced by his own stem cells. The removal left his immune system impaired, allowing the dormant HIV to reactivate, with the level of virus in his bloodstream rising sharply.
When his immune function returned his body reduced HIV levels at