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Also known as Timothy Ray Brown, a Berlin patient, pictured in 2012
The first person to treat HIV – Timothy Ray Brown – has died of cancer.
Mr Brown, also known as the “Berlin Patient”, was diagnosed with HIV. Bone marrow transplantation was provided from a resistant donor.
This meant that he no longer needed antiviral drugs and had been free of the virus for the rest of his life, which could lead to AIDS.
The International AIDS Society said Mr Brown had given the world hope that a cure for HIV was possible.
Mr. Brown, who is 54, was born in the U.S. Was born in, HIV. Was diagnosed while living in Berlin in 1995. Then in 2007 he developed a type of blood cancer called acute myeloid leukemia.
His treatment involved destroying his bone marrow, which produced cancerous cells, and then transplanting the bone marrow.
The transplant came from a donor whose part of their DNA, known as the CRC5 gene, was rarely altered.
HIV resistance
CCR5 is a set of genetic instructions that pave the way for infecting human immune virus (HIV) cells.
The change in CCR5 essentially locks the door and makes people more resistant to HIV.
After treatment, Mr. Brown’s blood HIV levels dropped to undiagnosed levels and he no longer needed anti-retroviral therapy. It was a “cure” in effect.
But leukemia, which leads to her HIV cure, returned earlier this year and spread to her brain and spinal cord.
“It is with great sadness that I announce that Timothy has died … after a five-month battle with leukemia, surrounded by myself and friends,” his colleague Tim Hoe Fag posted on Facebook.
He added: “Tim is committed to his life’s work to tell a story about his HIV cure and has become an ambassador of hope.”
Is a remedy close?
Mr Brown’s treatment was very risky and invasive to use regularly – it remains primarily as a treatment for cancer. This approach is very costly for millions of people, many of whom live in co-Africa, living with HIV infection.
However, Mr Brown’s story inspires scientists, patients and the world to find a cure.
The International AIDS Society (IAS) said it was mourning with a “heavy heart.”
IAS Chairperson Professor Adiba Kamrulzaman said, “We are working on HIV. I am grateful to Timothy and his doctor, Giro Hutter, for opening the door to scientists and scientists to find out if a cure is possible.
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Earlier this year, another person was diagnosed with HIV. Known as a London patient – Adam Castilejo received the same treatment as Mr Brown and may have had his HIV drugs.
- Dr. Second Ktro says that another patient was infected with HIV.
“Nevertheless, the cases of Timothy and Adam are not a systematic large-scale strategy for any cure, but they do represent a crucial moment in the search for a cure for HIV,” said Prof. Dr. A.S. Said Sharon Levine. .
“Timothy has been a champion and advocate for HIV treatment on the political and scientific agenda.
“The scientific community hopes that one day we will be able to honor their legacy through safe, cost-effective and widely accessible strategies to achieve HIV remission and treatment, using techniques to accelerate gene acquisition or immune control.” “
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