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From: bob@ozdaltx.UUCP (bob)
Newsgroups: alt.sex,soc.motss,sci.med.aids
Subject: Re: Elimination of AIDS from a patient.
Summary: Bone marrow transplant AIDS cure?
Message-ID: <30361@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Date: 20 Dec 89 23:06:28 GMT
References: <30142@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
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In article <30142@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>, JONESRA%AMBER.decnet@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (REX A. > I know that this is really recent news, but does anyone have any 
> I know that this is really recent news, but does anyone have any 
> information on the case that was announced about the elimination of AIDS 
> in a patient through a bone marrow transplant? While this is not going to 
> be a practical treatment for all sufferers, it does offer some more hope 
> that AIDS can be beaten.

I read that the patient had lymphoma (cancer of lymph glands) and
that as part of the treatment they killed off his bone marrow (where
the new immune system cells come from) with chemotherapy and/or radiation.
Then using max doses of AZT to keep HIV replication in check for those
cells that might have escaped the bone marrow he was then given the
transplant.  Yes you read correctly that the patient ended up dying
of cancer (I think 40 days later) but that extensive autopsy test
results found no HIV in the tissues of brain, bone marrow, etc.

The problem is that bone marrow destruction and transplant is risky
for non-AIDS patients, and I think it said something like a 25% 
survival rate.  Obviously not the treatament for early diagnoses.

That's about all I remember from the newspaper.
                                                                    
Yes, there is hope (even small) in this just like the vaccine for SIV
in monkeys.  But it still looks like a long battle.  So much gets
reported so hopefully, then no more news.  For example, 2 years ago
the AIDS Treatment News reported promising results from a Paris study of
DHEA.  Nothing since then.  It seems to always be like this.
                                                                   
I try to stay hopeful (with or without news) and just take it 
all a day at a time, looking for the best in each day. I know
that may sound trite, but it is the only way I can avoid getting
down when I think about how long this might last.
   
    Bob Culmer
    Dallas, TX