Man cured of HIV now has terminal cancer
The first man known to have been cured of
HIV is now critically ill from the reappearance of the cancer that led to the treatment
which made him HIV-free.
Timothy Ray Brown had a transplant from a
donor with a rare, natural resistance to HIV, which cured him of both leukaemia
and the virus.
But Brown is now battling the cancer which
returned last year and has spread throughout his body, reports The Associated
Press.
Regarding the transplant, Brown said he’s
still happy he had it, adding “It opened
up doors that weren’t there before” and inspired scientists to work harder to
find a cure, which many had begun to think was not possible.”
Brown was diagnosed with
leukaemia in 2006 and received his first transplant in 2007, which was only
partially successful. He had a second transplant from the same donor in 2008,
which was successful.
He is receiving hospice
care in Palm Springs, California and still has no signs of HIV.
