Researchers: Toddler cured of HIV

'She's a healthy little girl'

Published On: Mar 03 2013 08:17:36 PM CST Updated On: Mar 03 2013 08:08:15 PM CST

A child born with HIV was taken off medication and appears to have been cured. Doctors are now trying to replicate the findings.

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--SUPERS--:00-:04Elizabeth CohenCNN Senior Medical Correspondent :43-:53Dr. Deborah Persaud Johns Hopkins' Children's Center Baltimore :53-1:27Elizabeth CohenCNN Senior Medical Correspondent 
--LEAD IN--It's a medical first - a baby born with HIV is considered cured.CNN's Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen explains how this finding could chance the way newborns born with HIV are treated all over the world.
--REPORTER PKG-AS FOLLOWS--LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS BABY IN MISSISSIPPI, BECAUSE IT'S A FASCINATING STORY.THE BABY WAS BORN TO AN HIV POSITIVE MOTHER, THE BABY WAS ON ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS FOR 15 MONTHS, AND THEN AT AROUND THAT TIME THE MOM JUST TOOK HER OFF OF THEM, SHE STOPPED GIVING THEM AND SHE STOPPED GOING BACK TO THE DOCTOR.SHE WAS OFF THE DRUGS FOR 8-10 MONTHS TOTAL.WHEN THEY BROUGHT HER BACK TO THE DOCTOR, AROUND HER SECOND BIRTHDAY THERE WAS NO SIGNS OF HIV. THE DOCTORS IN MISSISSIPPI COULDN'T FIND IT. THEY BROUGHT IN OTHER DOCTORS WHO COULDN'T FIND IT.NOW WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OTHER BABIES WITH HIV?HERE'S WHAT THE FOLKS AT JOHNS HOPKINS' HAVE TO SAY, THEY'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS. THEY SAY IT MAY HELP PAVE THE WAY TO ELIMINATING HIV INFECTION IN CHILDREN."This has very important implications for pediatric HIV infection and the ability to achieve cure, so we think we should be able to replicate this."IN OTHER WORDS, MAYBE OTHER BABIES CAN GO ON THESE DRUGS FOR A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, AND DON'T HAVE TO STAY ON THEM FOR LIFE. MAYBE THEY CAN JUST STAY ON THEM FOR A YEAR LIKE THIS BABY DID.NOW THIS BABY GOT HIGH DOSES OF THREE DRUGS RIGHT AFTER BIRTH, AND THEY'RE SAYING THAT MAY BE THE WAY TO GO.NOW THIS BABY DOES HAVE LITTLE TINY BITS OF RNA AND DNA FRAGMENTS IN HER BLOOD, SO SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING IT'S A FUNCTIONAL CURE, SINCE SHE DOES HAVE THOSE FRAGMENTS.BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, THIS BABY ISN'T SICK, THIS BABY NO LONGER HAS HIV, SHE'S A HEALTHY LITTLE GIRL.BACK TO YOU.
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