First Ever Documented Case of Child Cured by HIV

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the first documented case of a child being cured of HIV, as presented by Dr. Deborah Persaud. Participants explore the implications of this case, particularly in comparison to curing adults who contracted HIV later in life, and reflect on the historical context of HIV research and treatment advancements.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Historical

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question how curing a child born with HIV differs from curing an adult who contracted the virus later, noting the timing of antiretroviral treatment initiation.
  • It is mentioned that starting treatment on the first day of postnatal life may prevent the establishment of viral reservoirs, unlike in typical adult cases where the infection is often active for some time before treatment.
  • One participant expresses skepticism about the long-term prospects for a cure or vaccine, citing historical disappointments in HIV research and treatment promises.
  • Another participant highlights the challenges of developing vaccines for RNA viruses due to their high mutation rates.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of optimism regarding the recent findings and skepticism based on historical context. There is no consensus on the implications of the cure or the future of HIV treatment and prevention.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions reference the potential limitations of the findings, such as the specific conditions under which the child was cured and the broader applicability to other cases. Historical references to past predictions about vaccines and cures highlight ongoing uncertainties in HIV research.

Chemicist
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Dr. Deborah Persaud of Johns Hopkins University today described the first documented case of a child being cured of HIV. The landmark findings were announced at the 2013 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Atlanta, GA.

Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130303172640.htm
 
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Great news! How different is curing a person born with HIV than a person who later in life contracted HIV?
 
Greg Bernhardt said:
Great news! How different is curing a person born with HIV than a person who later in life contracted HIV?

I'm not skilled enough in the field to know. :/
 
Greg Bernhardt said:
Great news! How different is curing a person born with HIV than a person who later in life contracted HIV?

In this case, antiretroviral treatment was started on the first day of postnatal life, likely before reservoirs of virus could be established. In the typical adult case, the infection has usually been active for some time before treatment is started. This provides the opportunity for HIV to establish reservoirs in lymphatic tissue , bone marrow, the genitourinary tract and sometimes, the brain. In such tissues, the virus may remain latent for years. In most adult cases, the gradual reduction of the viral load, as a result of treatment, can take the better part of a lifetime.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/780214

http://aidsresearch.org/cure-research/eradicating-hiv-reservoirs

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10608788
 
Last edited by a moderator:
SW VandeCarr said:
In this case, antiretroviral treatment was started on the first day of post natal life, likely before reservoirs of virus could be established. In the typical adult case, the infection has usually been active for some time before treatment is started. This provides the opportunity for HIV to establish reservoirs in lymphatic tissue , bone marrow, the genitourinary tract and sometimes, the brain. In such tissues, the virus may remain latent for years. In most adult cases, the gradual reduction of the viral load, as a result of treatment, takes the better part of a lifetime.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/780214

http://aidsresearch.org/cure-research/eradicating-hiv-reservoirs

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10608788

Interesting! Thanks!
 
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To my understanding, this "cure" only applies to recent infections - but it's still a huge leap forward, and offers hope of an eventual cure (or vaccine?) for the rest of the people afflicted with this horrible condition.
 
I remember in 1985 when Rock Hudson was diagnosed with AIDS that they said they would almost certainly have a vaccine within 5 years and a cure within 10. Almost 30 years later, they have neither, and they are still talking the same rap.

I hope it's all true but I stopped getting excited about these things a long time ago. At least they have the retrovirals.
 
DiracPool said:
I remember in 1985 when Rock Hudson was diagnosed with AIDS that they said they would almost certainly have a vaccine within 5 years and a cure within 10. Almost 30 years later, they have neither, and they are still talking the same rap.

I hope it's all true but I stopped getting excited about these things a long time ago. At least they have the retrovirals.

Yeah vaccines for RNA viruses in general are pretty tough to make because the high mutation rate.
 

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