"Curing a patient is a milestone in HIV research and is representative of UKE's great scientific expertise in this field," said Prof. Dr Blanche Schwappach-Pignataro, Dean of UKE. The course of treatment was monitored by 18 institutions in six countries. After six years of HIV therapy and another four years without viral activity, the so-called "Düsseldorf patient" is now cured. The male patient had suffered from leukaemia before being transplanted with blood stem cells with a rare gene variant that leads to resistance to most HIV viruses. Now, researchers aim to build on the successful healing process and develop more therapy options that will benefit as many patients as possible, according to Prof Julian Schulze zur Wiesch, head of the research team in Hamburg.
An international team of researchers including scientists at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) has cured a 53-year-old man of HIV/AIDS thereby proving that the illness can be cured under certain circumstances and setting new standards in research. The German Association of Medical Faculties and the Association of University Hospitals in Germany has honoured the research consortium with the German University Medicine Prize worth EUR 25,000 for their work.
UKE researchers involved in pioneering HIV cure
Prize for socially-important achievements
The German University Medicine Prize is presented every year for team achievements, innovation and translation of research projects. The social impact of medical achievements is is of major significance in reference to HIV research. Around 2,500 new HIV infections occurred all over Germany in 2022, a slight increase over 2021, according to the Robert Koch Institute.
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