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A Norwegian man has entered long-term remission from HIV following a groundbreaking stem cell transplant from his own brother, marking a rare and significant development in decades-long efforts to eliminate the virus.

Now 63, the man, referred to as the “Oslo patient,” had been living with HIV since 2006. More than a decade later, in 2017, he was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare and serious blood cancer that required a bone marrow transplant. With no ideal donor available, doctors ultimately turned to his older brother as the best option.

According to the doctors, this case is particularly notable because the donor happened to carry a rare genetic mutation known as CCR5. This mutation—which prevents HIV from entering immune cells, effectively blocking the virus from replicating—is present in only about one percent of people in Northern Europe and has been central to every known case of HIV remission linked to stem cell transplants.

“We had no idea… That was amazing,” said Dr. Anders Eivind Myhre of Oslo University Hospital, who led the research. The patient himself described the outcome as “it was like winning the lottery twice,” reflecting both the rarity of the genetic match and the success of the treatment.

The transplant, performed in 2020, replaced the patient’s immune system with that of his brother. Over time, the newly formed immune cells—resistant to HIV—took over completely. Two years later, doctors discontinued his antiretroviral therapy, closely monitoring for any return of the virus.

So far, none has been detected. Extensive testing of his blood, gut, and bone marrow has shown no trace of HIV. “For all practical purposes, we are quite certain that he is cured,” Myhre said.

According to his medical team, the patient has since regained strong health and vitality. He is described as “having a great time” and enjoying life with renewed energy, a stark contrast to the years spent managing both HIV and a life-threatening cancer diagnosis.

Researchers note that this case stands out because the donor was a close family member. It is the first documented instance in which a sibling transplant has led to this level of HIV remission. The patient’s immune system had been “completely replaced” by the donor’s, according to study co-author Marius Trøseid of the University of Oslo—an outcome confirmed through analysis of multiple tissues.

“The Oslo patient is perhaps no longer a patient. At least he doesn’t feel like it,” Trøseid said.

This case adds to a growing, though still extremely limited, group of similar outcomes. The first widely recognized instance involved Timothy Ray Brown, who underwent a comparable transplant in 2008 and became the first person declared cured of HIV/AIDS. Since then, a handful of patients in cities such as London, New York, Geneva, and Düsseldorf have experienced long-term remission under similar conditions.

While these cases offer hope, experts emphasize that stem cell transplants remain high-risk procedures, typically reserved for patients already facing life-threatening cancers. As such, they are not a viable solution for the broader population living with HIV.

Instead, scientists are focusing on what these rare successes reveal. By studying how the virus is eliminated in such cases, researchers aim to develop safer, more accessible treatments, potentially through gene-editing technologies or therapies that replicate the protective effect of the CCR5 mutation.

For now, the Oslo patient’s story represents both progress and possibility, a reminder that while an HIV cure remains complex, it is no longer beyond reach. Read here for more information about this story.

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