In a landmark case presented at this year’s Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Atlanta, a baby born with HIV appears to be the first ever to be cured of the virus.
According to an article in Science Daily, the two-year-old child from Mississippi, who was subjected to antiretroviral therapy shortly after birth, now shows no trace of HIV.
While the mother and child definitely tested HIV positive at the time of birth, Dr. Hannah Gay, a pediatric HIV specialist at the University of Mississippi, found no signs of the infection, despite tests using the “most sensitive means available” when the child was 23 months old. The toddler had ceased the antiretroviral therapy at 18 months.
"Given that this cure appears to have been achieved by antiretroviral therapy alone," said Dr. Rowena Johnston, amfAR vice president and director of research, "it is also imperative that we learn more about a newborn's immune system, how it differs from an adult's, and what factors made it possible for the child to be cured."
The Mississippi case marks a huge leap in the fight against HIV. As researchers suggest, it also “underscores the importance of identifying HIV-positive pregnant women” so infants can be treated promptly with antiretroviral therapy if they are born HIV positive.
"We are proud to have played a leading role in bringing this first pediatric HIV cure to light," said amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost. "The case is a startling reminder that a cure for HIV could come in ways we never anticipated, and we hope this is the first of many children cured of HIV in the months and years to come."
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