HIV 'Cure' in Toddler Offers 'Global Hope' -- Johns Hopkins Children's Center pediatrician Dr. Deborah Persaud reported that a toddler is "functionally cured" of HIV. Duplicating the functional cure with other HIV-infected infants would offer hope to other children whose mothers transmitted the virus during pregnancy, while giving birth or while breast-feeding. A "functional cure" means that, although testing reveals HIV traces in the toddler, highly sensitive tests have been unable to detect fragments of HIV virus that can replicate. 

In this case, the HIV-infected mother received no prenatal care and was diagnosed during labor. If she had been able to access healthcare and prenatal care, it is likely she would have been diagnosed and put on treatment, and the baby would not have been born with HIV. This serves as a reminder that we still have work to do to ensure folks have access to healthcare and early diagnosis and treatment.

Doctors typically give an HIV-infected newborn a combination of two drugs. In this case, Dr. Hannah Gay gave the newborn a three-drug mixture within 30 hours of birth. Gay suspects the timing of treatment was the curative factor. She explains the case in a video clip of a CNN interview.

CDC reports that the number of HIV-infected infants born in the U.S. dropped by 90% since the 1990s, when HIV testing became a routine part of prenatal care. Doctors are able to suppress the virus in mothers to prevent them from transmitting it to their babies. UNAIDS Global Report estimates that 1,000 HIV-infected infants are born each day; there are 330,000 HIV-infected children, living mostly in developing countries where expectant mothers are less likely to be tested and treated for HIV.    

Bipartisan Group Introduces Bill to End Ban on HIV Organ Donation -- Senators Barbara Boxer and Tom Coburn introduced a bill to allow research into organ donation among HIV-infected people, which has been banned since a 1988 law made it illegal to transplant organs from one HIV-infected person to another. The 1988 law also prohibited research into transplants between HIV-infected persons.

The bill would allow researchers to determine the safety of organ transplants from HIV-infected donors to HIV-infected recipients. The bill's opponents fear that organs from HIV-infected people could be transplanted by mistake to non-HIV-infected patients. However, Senator Coburn, who is also a physician, stated that HIV-infected people are now living longer, which increases the need for liver and kidney transplants. South Africa reported successful transplants from one HIV-infected person to another in 2010.

Australian Scientist Claims HIV/AIDS Breakthrough -- David Harrich, a researcher at Australia's Queensland Institute of Medical Research, reported that he has modified an HIV protein to interrupt the replication of the virus and prevent HIV from developing into AIDS. According to his research, the modified protein, named Nullbasic, has been successful in laboratory tests.

The modified protein would not be a cure for HIV. In contrast with HIV treatments that aim to eliminate the virus, Nullbasic would interrupt the disease process and prevent HIV-infected people from developing AIDS. The laboratory will begin testing the modified HIV protein in animals this year. Even if animal testing is successful, Harrich estimated treatment for HIV-infected people is still some years away. However, he stated the treatment could eliminate costly multi-drug treatments, save money for governments, and improve quality of life for HIV-infected people.