Link: Cured HIV patients 'living proof' of hope in fight against virus - The Japan Times

Three individuals who have been effectively cured of HIV shared their experiences with a life-saving but high-risk transplant procedure at the International AIDS Conference in Munich. Of the seven individuals considered cured via this stem cell transplant procedure, three attended the conference. This transplant, enduringly complicated and painful, is only suitable for those suffering aggressive leukaemia in tandem with HIV. Adam Castillejo, colloquially known as the "London patient," took years to ascertain the successful outcome of his transplant. Only when doctors are confident that HIV will not resurface can patients cease antiretroviral treatments, which lower the virus's presence in the body. Another patient, 55-year-old Marc Franke of Duesseldorf, echoed these sentiments, stating the process was exhaustive. Given the procedure's 10% mortality rate and potential for severe complications, Franke discourages its consideration despite his own success. Looking back, he states that he would have preferred the simpler option of daily antiretroviral medication to the taxing transplant method. #

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Yoooo, this is a quick note on a link that made me go, WTF? Find all past links here.