A French woman in her mid-fifties appears to have been cured of HIV, marking a remarkable development that has raised hope among people living with the virus.
Known only as the “French Patient” due to privacy considerations, her case was recently presented by researchers at an international HIV conference in Glasgow, Scotland, according to amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations.
Diagnosed with HIV in 1999, the French Patient began antiretroviral therapy (ART) early in her treatment and achieved an undetectable viral load by 2010. While ART has long been the standard treatment for HIV, it does not eliminate the virus completely from the body, meaning that those living with HIV must continue taking medication for life. The promise of a cure has remained elusive—until recently.
In July 2020, while being treated for acute myeloid leukaemia, the patient underwent a stem cell transplant. This procedure, intended primarily to combat leukaemia, also provided a unique opportunity to target HIV. The transplant involved donor cells carrying a genetic mutation known as the double CCR5-delta32 mutation, which makes cells nearly resistant to HIV infection.
Similar to five other cure cases—including Timothy Ray Brown, the City of Hope Patient, Marc Franke, Adam Castillejo, and the New York Patient—the French Patient received these specialized donor cells. Over several months, doctors at the Public Hospital of Marseille closely monitored her progress.
Post-transplant, the patient faced challenges, including graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a common complication where donor cells attack the recipient’s body. These complications were managed successfully, and her immune system began to recover. In October 2023, she stopped taking ART under medical supervision. Since then, tests have shown no detectable HIV RNA or DNA in her blood—a result that has persisted for over a year.
Aside from a bout of pneumococcal meningitis, from which she recovered, she has experienced no significant adverse events and has maintained an undetectable viral load. If the virus remains undetectable and her blood cells continue to show no HIV DNA, she will become the eighth person and second woman to be cured of HIV.
Scientists remain cautiously optimistic. While stem cell transplants are not practical for most people with HIV due to their complexity and risks, each success story provides valuable insights. The case may help guide future research toward more accessible and safer treatment options.
“We know that stem cell transplants are not a viable means of curing most people living with HIV, but each new case of a cure provides clues for developing more scalable interventions,” said Andrea Gramatica, vice president and director of research at amfAR. “While we can learn from these cases, amfAR will continue to vigorously pursue strategies aimed at delivering a more practical cure widely available to people living with HIV.”
Hope for Nigeria, Africa
The breakthrough offers hope, particularly in regions like Africa and Nigeria, where HIV remains a significant public health challenge.
In Nigeria, where an estimated 2 million people live with HIV, the focus remains on providing sustained treatment and care. The situation has been complicated by funding shortfalls following cuts in international aid. Previously, significant support from the US government ensured steady supplies of ART and other essential services. However, aid cuts by the Trump administration have left a notable gap in resources.
The Nigerian government approved N4.1 billion for HIV treatment over a four-month period — less than 2% of the annual aid previously provided by the US government for HIV treatment in Nigeria.
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