#ccr5

Timothy Ray Brown, aka “the Berlin Patient,” may now have company as researchers report that a second HIV-positive man has no signs of the virus following successful treatment for life-threatening cancer with a stem cell transplant of immune cells that are naturally resistant to the virus. At this time, researchers have categorized this second man, a British individual dubbed “the London Patient,” as in a state of viral remission.

CytoDyn’s injectable PRO 140 is proving to be an effective treatment for multidrug-resistant HIV, Healio reports.

This is the famous case of the "Berlin Patient," Timothy Ray Brown. His case was the first documented cure of HIV and it changed how scientists think about HIV cures.

The key thing is that doctors did not directly mutate his DNA.

Instead, he had leukemia and needed a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant. His doctors found a donor who had a rare genetic mutation called CCR5-Δ32. People who inherit two copies of this mutation have immune cells that lack the CCR5 receptor that most HIV strains use to enter cells.

To use an analogy:

Normal immune cells have a "door handle" called CCR5.

Most HIV strains grab that handle to get inside.

People with two CCR5-Δ32 mutations are missing that handle.

HIV arrives at the door but can't get in.

After the transplant, Brown's own immune system was largely replaced by donor cells carrying the mutation. As a result, HIV had nowhere useful to establish new infections, and the virus never returned.

Was he actually cured?

As far as scientists can tell, yes.

He stopped HIV medications and remained free of detectable HIV for the rest of his life. He later died from recurrent leukemia, but not from HIV.

Why don't we do this for everyone?

Because a bone marrow transplant is one of the riskiest procedures in medicine.

Doctors essentially destroy the patient's existing bone marrow and immune system and replace it with donor stem cells. Serious complications, including death, can occur. The procedure is generally only justified when someone already has a life-threatening cancer such as leukemia or lymphoma.

For someone whose HIV is well-controlled with medication, the transplant would usually be far more dangerous than the HIV itself.

Have there been more cures?

Yes. Since the Berlin Patient, several other people appear to have achieved long-term HIV remission or cure after similar stem-cell transplants, including the:

Adam Castillejo ("London Patient")

"Düsseldorf Patient"

"New York Patient"

"City of Hope Patient"

"Geneva Patient"

Additional recent cases reported in Germany and Norway.

What's especially interesting is that some recent cases suggest the story may be more complicated than simply removing CCR5. Scientists are finding evidence that replacing the immune system and eliminating infected cells may also play a major role. Some people have achieved long-term remission even when the donor wasn't fully genetically resistant to HIV.

What is the status of gene-editing approaches?

This is where things get really exciting.

Researchers are trying to recreate the CCR5 effect without a dangerous bone marrow transplant. The idea is to collect a person's own stem cells, use gene-editing tools such as CRISPR to disable CCR5, and then return those cells to the patient. The hope is that the person gradually develops an HIV-resistant immune system. Researchers view CCR5-targeted gene editing as one of the most promising cure strategies under investigation.

However, as of 2026:

Gene-editing approaches remain experimental.

No widely available CRISPR cure exists.

HIV's hidden reservoirs remain the biggest obstacle.

Current HIV medications, including long-acting drugs such as lenacapavir, remain the standard of care.

HIV

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