The story is described as a 'medical miracle' by the scientific community. A 63-year-old man, nicknamed the 'Oslo patient', is now considered cured of both HIV and blood cancer, according to a study published on April 14, 2026, and reported by La Dépêche and Actu.fr. HIV-positive for over twenty years, this Norwegian received a bone marrow transplant from his brother to treat leukemia diagnosed in 2023.

A Saving Coincidence

The patient's brother carried a rare genetic mutation, the CCR5-delta32 mutation, which confers natural resistance to HIV. This same mutation was behind the cure of the famous 'Berlin patient' (Timothy Ray Brown) in 2008. During the transplant, the donor's stem cells not only replaced the recipient's diseased immune system but also eradicated the HIV reservoir cells. Two years after the procedure, doctors have not detected any trace of the virus in the patient's blood, even after stopping antiretroviral treatment.

The Eighth Global Case

The Oslo patient becomes the eighth documented case of functional HIV cure worldwide, following the patients of Berlin, London, Düsseldorf, New York, City of Hope, Geneva, and a pediatric case. According to researchers, he is 'in great shape' and leads a normal life. The study nevertheless emphasizes that bone marrow transplantation remains a major, risky procedure reserved for cases of hematological cancers – it is not a generalizable solution for the 39 million people living with HIV worldwide.

Hope for Research

These successive cases of cure nevertheless confirm that HIV eradication is biologically possible. They are guiding research towards gene therapies targeting the CCR5 receptor, which could one day offer a cure without the risks of a transplant. Clinical trials using CRISPR technology to modify patients' immune cells are currently underway in several university hospital centers.