A Norwegian man infected with HIV since 2006 has achieved long-term remission after a stem cell transplant treated both his blood cancer and the virus, according to a study published April 13, 2026 in Nature Microbiology. The patient, referred to as the “Oslo patient,” was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome in 2017 and underwent a bone marrow transplant in 2020 using cells from his brother, who unknowingly carried a rare genetic mutation.
The transplant was intended to treat his aggressive blood cancer, but it also led to the unexpected eradication of HIV. Two years after the procedure, the patient stopped taking antiretroviral medication and has remained in remission without detectable virus.
His brother’s stem cells carried the CCR5 delta-32 mutation, which confers natural resistance to HIV by blocking the virus from entering immune cells. This same mutation has been linked to prior cases of HIV remission following stem cell transplants, including the well-known “Berlin patient” and “London patient.”
The Oslo patient is now among a small group of individuals considered cured or nearly cured of HIV after receiving stem cell transplants for blood cancers. Researchers note that although the procedure is high-risk and not suitable for widespread use, it provides critical insight into potential paths toward an HIV cure.
“It was like winning the lottery twice,” the patient reportedly said, reflecting on the dual outcome of being freed from both cancer and HIV. His case underscores how rare genetic traits, when combined with medical intervention, can produce extraordinary health outcomes.
Although stem cell transplants remain impractical as a general HIV cure due to their complexity and dangers, cases like this help scientists understand how the immune system might be engineered to resist the virus. The findings continue to inform gene therapy and immunotherapy research aimed at replicating the protective effects of the CCR5 mutation without requiring a transplant.
As of April 17, 2026, the Oslo patient remains healthy and off HIV medication, with no signs of viral rebound. His story adds to growing evidence that, under particularly specific conditions, long-term HIV remission is achievable.
