Doctors at the University of Minnesota may have cured HIV and leukemia in a boy Tuesday, according to multple news sources.
Star Tribune reported the boy, who has not been identified, could be the second person in the world to be cured from deadly illnesses by "an extraordinary type of cell transplant." Dr. John Wagner has been working with his team to prepare for this operation for weeks, Star Tribune reported.
Minnesota Public Radio reported that the solution may be "umbilical cord blood containing a protein known to protect a person against HIV." MPR reported that a similar operation was successful on an adult using bone marrow which contained the same protein.
MPR reported that if it is successful, the doctors will still continue to monitor the boy's leukemia for the next two years, when it could likely recur.
Star Tribune reported that Dr. Michael Verneris, who is assisting in the operation, said that less than 1 percent of the population is born with a genetic resistance that fights off HIV and leukemia.
Star Tribune said that the boy's transfusion took only ten minutes. The boy will have to remain in the hospital for at least four weeks for risk of complications and will not be able to go home for at least three month, Star Tribune reported.
