A man was unexpectedly cured of HIV after a stem cell transplant A man has become the seventh person to be left HIV-free after receiving a stem cell transplant to treat blood cancer. Significantly, he is also the second of the seven who received stem cells that were not actually resistant to the virus, strengthening the case that HIV-resistant cells may not be necessary for an HIV cure. But how did it work and what does it mean for the future of HIV treatment? Read more: https://www.newscientist

HIV Life Cycle In order for HIV-1 to reproduce, it infects a CD4 bearing target cell. There are many cells throughout the body that express varying levels of CD4. Like all virus particles, HIV is not technically alive, but rather can be viewed as a piece of genetic material coated with a “protein and sugar body”. For HIV to remain alive and to reproduce, it needs to hi-jack cells of the infected person; those that co-express CD4 receptors and chemokine receptors. HIV is a unique virus because it