On the heels of World AIDS Day comes a stunning medical breakthrough: Doctors believe an HIV-positive man who underwent a stem cell transplant has been cured as a result of the procedure.
Timothy Ray Brown, also known as the "Berlin Patient," received the transplant in 2007 as part of a lengthy treatment course for leukemia. His doctors recently published a report in the journal Blood affirming that the results of extensive testing "strongly suggest that cure of HIV infection has been achieved."
Brown's case paves a path for constructing a permanent cure for HIV through genetically-engineered stem cells.
Last week, Time named another AIDS-related discovery to its list of the Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs of 2010. Recent studies show that healthy individuals who take antiretrovirals, medicine commonly prescribed for treating HIV, can reduce their risk of contracting the disease by up to 73 percent.
While these developments by no means prove a cure for the virus has been found, they can certainly provide hope for the more than 33 million people living with HIV worldwide. Alongside such findings, global efforts to combat the epidemic have accelerated as of late, with new initiatives emerging in the Philippines and South Africa this week.
Additional Details
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/14/hiv-cure-berlin-patient_n_796521.html
http://articles.cnn.com/2009-02-11/health/health.hiv.stemcell_1_cell-transplant-ccr5-cd4?_s=PM:HEALTH
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/health/14hiv.html
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/12/14/doctors-claim-hiv-positive-man-cured-stem-cell-transplant/
Before signing an Executive Order this morning that lifted the ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, President Obama said that a majority of Americans "have come to a consensus that we should pursue this research; that the potential it offers is great, and with proper guidelines and strict oversight the perils can be avoided."
However, not included in that "consensus," are conservatives and Republican lawmakers and organizations that have started an opposition rally cry.
Critics of the research argue embryonic cells are destroyed while scientists search for cures for Parkinson's disease, spinal injuries and other afflictions.
House Republican Leader John Boehner said the president's repeal of the ban, "runs counter to President Obama's promise to be a president for all Americans. For a third time in his young presidency, the president has rolled back important protections for innocent life, further dividing our nation at a time when we need greater unity to tackle
Timothy Ray Brown, also known as the "Berlin Patient," received the transplant in 2007 as part of a lengthy treatment course for leukemia. His doctors recently published a report in the journal Blood affirming that the results of extensive testing "strongly suggest that cure of HIV infection has been achieved."
Brown's case paves a path for constructing a permanent cure for HIV through genetically-engineered stem cells.
Last week, Time named another AIDS-related discovery to its list of the Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs of 2010. Recent studies show that healthy individuals who take antiretrovirals, medicine commonly prescribed for treating HIV, can reduce their risk of contracting the disease by up to 73 percent.
While these developments by no means prove a cure for the virus has been found, they can certainly provide hope for the more than 33 million people living with HIV worldwide. Alongside such findings, global efforts to combat the epidemic have accelerated as of late, with new initiatives emerging in the Philippines and South Africa this week.
Additional Details
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/14/hiv-cure-berlin-patient_n_796521.html
http://articles.cnn.com/2009-02-11/health/health.hiv.stemcell_1_cell-transplant-ccr5-cd4?_s=PM:HEALTH
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/health/14hiv.html
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/12/14/doctors-claim-hiv-positive-man-cured-stem-cell-transplant/
Before signing an Executive Order this morning that lifted the ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, President Obama said that a majority of Americans "have come to a consensus that we should pursue this research; that the potential it offers is great, and with proper guidelines and strict oversight the perils can be avoided."
However, not included in that "consensus," are conservatives and Republican lawmakers and organizations that have started an opposition rally cry.
Critics of the research argue embryonic cells are destroyed while scientists search for cures for Parkinson's disease, spinal injuries and other afflictions.
House Republican Leader John Boehner said the president's repeal of the ban, "runs counter to President Obama's promise to be a president for all Americans. For a third time in his young presidency, the president has rolled back important protections for innocent life, further dividing our nation at a time when we need greater unity to tackle