Man in Remission from HIV and Cancer After Bone Marrow Transplant

Norwegian Man Achieves Rare HIV Remission Following Stem Cell Transplant

A 63-year-old Norwegian man, now referred to as the “Oslo patient,” has entered long-term remission from HIV after receiving a bone marrow stem cell transplant from his brother. The case, detailed in a study published in Nature Microbiology on April 14, 2026, provides critical insights into the possibility of eradicating the virus.

The patient originally required an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to treat a rare type of blood cancer affecting the immune system. During the search for a compatible donor, researchers from Oslo University Hospital discovered that the patient’s brother carried the CCR5Δ32 genetic mutation. This specific mutation is known to resist HIV by preventing the virus from entering cells.

By repopulating the patient’s immune system with cells carrying this mutation, the transplant effectively blocked HIV from infecting novel cells. The medical team closely monitored “chimerism”—the extent to which the donated cells took over the patient’s blood and immune system. Four years after the transplant, all traces of functioning HIV DNA were cleared from the individual.

The patient was able to stop taking HIV medication two years after the HSCT. As of five years post-transplant, researchers report there is still no evidence of viral rebound. This outcome is particularly significant because, whereas modern antiretroviral drugs can stop HIV from replicating and control the virus, the virus typically remains in the body and returns if treatment is interrupted.

This case marks the tenth person worldwide to eliminate the virus following a stem cell transplant used to treat hematological cancer. The series of breakthroughs began in 2009 with Timothy Ray Brown, known as the “Berlin Patient,” who was the first documented case of an HIV cure.

Javier Martínez-Picado, an ICREA researcher at IrsiCaixa and coordinator of the international consortium IciStem 2.0, emphasized that these milestones are the result of more than a decade of international research. “These milestones allow us to better understand how cure occurs and to move toward strategies that can be applied to all people living with HIV,” Martínez-Picado stated.

Researchers noted that the case of the Oslo patient adds valuable evidence to the existing knowledge base regarding HIV cures. Beyond the immediate success of the transplant, the study enhances the scientific understanding of HIV pathology, molecular mechanisms, and predictive biomarkers, which may eventually inform broader treatment strategies for those not undergoing stem cell transplants.