Researchers Advancing Toward Possible AIDS Cure

A few dozen scientists and community members are discussing something that until now has been a taboo word in the HIV and AIDS research world–a cure. 

"They used to say, 'You can't say cure in public,' " Stephen LeBlanc, a board member of AIDS Policy Project, said at a West Hollywood AIDS town hall meeting organized by his group at Plummer Park on Nov. 3. "But that has shifted."

About two dozen community members came to the forum, which AIDS Policy Project held to talk about the organization. As advocates for HIV/AIDS research, the group discussed the strides that have been made in the fight against AIDS in the recent years. 

Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day. In the U.S., more than 1 million people have AIDS.

The possible cures discussed at the West Hollywood meeting are the result of a 2006 case of an HIV-positive American man living in Berlin now known anonymously as "The Berlin Patient."

While treating the Berlin Patient for leukemia, his doctor decided to not only find a matching stem cell donor but one that also had a genetic mutation known as delta 32 CCR5. Those with the mutation have been found to be resistant to most forms of HIV.

The transplant was a success, but the patient relapsed a year later and required a second transplant. In that time the patient showed no HIV viral load and had a good T cell count despite having stopped taking his antiviral drugs.

One may wonder why the news of this procedure was not sung from the rafters to the tune of "Cure for HIV Found!" Members of the AIDS Policy Project explained that it's not that simple.

"It is very nice and it is not even surprising but it's just off the table of practicality," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Finding delta 32 CCR5 stem cell donor matches for the millions of HIV positive people would be expensive and impractical, but scientists have not given up on using the genetic mutation as a potential cure.

"So if we can't do a bone marrow transplant maybe we can take the patient's own delta 32 cells and mutate them so they will help the patient's own body fight off the HIV," Dr. Paula Cannon of the USC Keck School of Medicine told those in attendance at the town hall meeting.

Cannon and her team have shown promising results by injected genetically altered delta32 CCR5 cells into "humanized" mice that have HIV. After 12 weeks, those mice that had received the injections showed no detectable signs of HIV in their blood system.

In light of this successful animal testing, Cannon is now looking at the next step in the experimental process: Human testing.

"We are proposing to do it in AIDS and lymphoma patients because they have to go through chemo and have to already have their [stem cells] taken out," she said.

Although the prospect of a cure for HIV and AIDS is exciting, Cannon is quick to point out the hurdles that will need to be overcome. 

"My big concern is safety. It's never been done in any patient, so that's a little daunting," she said.

With all this in mind, members of the AIDS Policy Project are eager to facilitate further AIDS and HIV research.

"We really hope one of our HIV projects will succeed," LeBlanc said.  "We're not going to have a cure tomorrow, but we are headed down this road."

The AIDS Policy Project seeks increased federal funding for AIDS research and is planning a larger scale town hall meeting with AIDS Project Los Angeles.

Many people choose to wear the solidarity red ribbon on World AIDS Day and read the names of those lost to the disease. Here in West Hollywood, members of the community will participate in a  at 6 p.m.