HIV-free for seven years after cancer treatment, and doctors are amazed

A man treated for blood cancer has stayed HIV-free for seven years after a stem-cell transplant, even without the CCR5 mutation once seen as essential, shifting cure research

In a breakthrough that has surprised HIV researchers worldwide, doctors have confirmed that a man has been cured of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) after receiving a stem-cell transplant for blood cancer. What makes this case remarkable is that the donated stem cells did not carry the CCR5 mutation, the rare genetic change long believed necessary to block HIV from entering immune cells. This challenges what scientists once thought was essential for a cure.

 

As Dr Sabine Kapasi, UN advisor and global health strategist, explains, “This case shows that cure is possible even without that mutation.” The finding is now pushing researchers to rethink how HIV might be eliminated in the future, and which immune pathways could offer new possibilities.

What sets this HIV cure case apart from earlier stem-cell transplant cures?

 

Previously, five people were cured of HIV only after receiving donor stem cells with two CCR5 mutations, reinforcing the belief that this rare mutation was crucial for success. That belief began to shift last year when the “Geneva patient” became the first person cleared of HIV without the mutation, remaining virus-free for more than two years, though some experts felt this wasn’t long enough to confirm a complete cure.  ALSO READ | How soon HIV symptoms appear, and why most people don't notice them 

The latest case now adds stronger evidence. The man, treated for leukaemia in 2015, received stem cells that carried only one mutated CCR5 copy. He continued antiretroviral therapy (ART) throughout treatment, reducing the chance of the donor cells becoming infected. Three years after the transplant, he stopped ART entirely and the virus did not return. He has now been HIV-free for over seven years, long enough for scientists to consider him cured.

How did the transplant clear HIV without the CCR5-resistant mutation?

 

Stem-cell transplants are usually done to treat life-threatening blood cancers, not HIV. But in this case, the steps involved in cancer treatment also created the conditions for an HIV cure.

 

According to Dr Kapasi, several processes worked together.

• The intensive chemotherapy given before the transplant wiped out most of the patient’s immune system, including many cells that hide dormant HIV.
• The donor stem cells then rebuilt a fresh immune system, one that the virus had little chance to infect because the patient continued taking antiretroviral therapy (ART).

 

Dr Aishwarya R, Consultant - Infectious Diseases at Aster Whitefield Hospital, describes this as a “combo effect” rather than one single mechanism. The pre-transplant treatment removes most of the old, infected cells, and the new donor cells appear to launch what experts call a “graft-versus-HIV-reservoir” response, essentially attacking the last pockets of virus that might otherwise have survived. Together, these effects left HIV with nowhere to hide.  ALSO READ | Can HIV be cured? New research shows long-term remission may be closer

How do doctors confirm HIV is truly gone after stopping ART?

 

There is no single test that can declare someone HIV-free forever. Instead, doctors rely on repeated, highly sensitive assessments.

 

Dr Kapasi explains that this includes:

• Viral load tests that detect even tiny amounts of virus.
• Tests that look for traces of HIV DNA inside cells.
• Attempts to “wake up” any dormant virus in the lab.
• Occasionally, gut or lymph node biopsies.
• Stopping ART under strict monitoring to see if the virus returns.

 

“In almost all people, HIV reappears within two to four weeks,” she says. But in this case, the patient has remained virus-free for over seven years, a period experts consider extremely strong evidence of a cure.

 

Dr Aishwarya notes that after stopping treatment, doctors check viral load weekly, then monthly for up to a year, and continue monitoring for one to two years before calling it long-term remission.  ALSO READ | From hugs to food to tattoos: Debunking 16 dangerous myths about HIV

What does this mean for future HIV cures, and can most patients benefit?

 

Experts caution that this is not a treatment option for most people living with HIV. It’s also important to point out that cancer-free people with HIV won’t benefit from stem-cell transplants, as it’s a very risky procedure that can lead to life-threatening infections, says Professor Christian Gaebler, Berlin Institute of Health.

 

“Stem-cell transplants are risky and only done for life-threatening cancers — not for HIV alone,” says Dr Aishwarya. Daily ART or long-acting injections remain safe, effective and accessible options.

 

However, the case is scientifically powerful. “The true importance lies in the insight it provides,” says Dr Kapasi. “It proves the immune system can fully eliminate HIV if guided effectively, without relying on rare genetic mutations.”

 

This understanding is already shaping research into safer approaches such as:

• Gene-edited immune cells.
• Antibody-based therapies.
• CAR (Chimeric Antigen Receptor) T-like immune treatments.
• Therapeutic vaccines.

 

While transplant-driven cures are not scalable, Dr Kapasi stresses, “but the biological lessons learned may one day lead to practical solutions for large populations.”