News of a patient who appears to be cured of AIDS has been cause for international interest.  An American man, aged 42, may have been cured of AIDS, a claim made by the Berlin doctors involved in his case.

Two years ago, the male patient received a bone marrow transplant in Berlin, Germany.  The transplant was performed to treat leukemia.  The man was advised to temporarily stop his AIDS treatment so that his leukemia treatment could have the best chance at success.

The man received a a bone marrow donation from an individual who carried a genetic mutation that makes the immune system inhospitable for HIV attack.  About 1 in 1000 individuals of European descent posses this specific genetic mutation.  This mutation affects the receptors on the blood cells that HIV needs to bind to in order to infect a person.

After the transplant procedure, the blood and other tissue samples of the patient were tested several times over the course of twenty months.  The results repeated showed no sign of HIV infection, even after ceasing all HIV medication for two years.

Although doctors are hopeful, they are cautiously optimistic.  No one knows whether the virus will make a resurgence in the future.