In Norway, an HIV-positive patient achieved long-term remission following a stem cell transplant
The medical community is discussing the unique case of a 63-year-old man from Norway who became the tenth person in the world to overcome HIV through a stem cell transplant.
A study published in the journal Nature Microbiology on April 13, 2026, confirms the absence of viable virus in the patient’s body for five years following the procedure.
What makes this case unique is that the donor was the patient’s biological brother, who was found to carry the rare CCR5Δ32/Δ32 genetic mutation.
This trait makes immune system cells naturally resistant to most strains of HIV, as it blocks the receptor through which the virus typically enters the cell.
“The case of the patient from Oslo adds valuable data to existing knowledge about HIV treatment. Furthermore, this and other studies help to better understand HIV pathogenesis, molecular mechanisms, and biomarkers,” noted the research team from Oslo University Hospital.
The bone marrow transplant was performed back in 2020 to treat myelodysplastic syndrome—a severe form of blood cancer.
Two years after the procedure, the patient was allowed to stop antiretroviral therapy, and the virus did not return over the next three years.
The scientists conducted an unprecedentedly thorough analysis, examining over 65 million T-cells, as well as samples from the gut—one of the virus’s main “reservoirs.”
The results confirmed that the transplanted cells from the brother had completely replaced the patient’s immune system, and no functional viral DNA was detected even in hidden reservoirs.
“The absence of a specific T-cell response to HIV in our data supports the hypothesis that this is associated with sustained remission,” the study authors explained.
The level of antibodies to the virus in the man’s body also gradually decreased over four years, indicating the absence of active infection.
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