This “London patient” underwent an allogeneic bone marrow transplant to treat his cancer. Remember that hematopoietic stem cells are the source of blood cells, red blood cells and white blood cells. This patient also had HIV. The transplanted stem cells came from donors carrying a rare genetic mutation, CCR5, which blocks the implantation of HIV. Some people have this mutation naturally and are therefore protected from HIV infection, so this patient was treated and cured of HIV, which was a puzzle for researchers!
He was part of the group of volunteers of the “Icistem” project. The IciStem consortium is made up of a panel of European experts, hematologists, infectious disease specialists, virologists and immunologists with expertise in the field of HIV. He is studying stem cell transplantation as a treatment for AIDS. The first patient declared cured of AIDS in 2011, the “Berlin patient”, had received the same treatment as that of London. The second patient declared AIDS-free, the “London patient”, had received the same treatment as that in Berlin.
The information relating to these two patients, reported by the “Futura sciences” site, ref below, [1], should clear our skies somewhat clouded by the coronavirus epidemic, although for HIV researchers refuse to sing victory too quickly. We must not, however, hide these advances which should provide some hope.
We obviously think of the work of Jean-Pascal Capp – following, in France, that of Nicole Le Douarin -, see: Stem cells, carriers of immortality, (2007), which we have mentioned [2]. And this, both about: “A new look at cancer” (2012) and a second work on “New look at stem cells” (2019). These two recovered patients should give reason to Jean-Pascal Capp for having deepened the links between cancer, AIDS and self-healing by the use of stem cells and their regenerative capacity.
Could stem cells also repair damaged spinal cord? This is part of the central nervous system; damaged, the links between the body and the brain are damaged. Until now, a lesion of this part of the body left little hope of recovery. Other potentially candidate pathologies for regeneration are envisaged due to a pathology, damaged tissues or chronic degenerative diseases. We will also think about diabetes.
It is likely that these new perspectives in regenerative medicine (very technical) will only strengthen the hospital’s culture as a “new industry” presented and criticized by the surgeon Stéphane Vélut [3]. Would it be possible to conceive two cultures, that induced by the scientific and technological progress exposed by Vélut, and another hospital culture, this humanist culture, where the human sciences fertilize the biological sciences according to a transdisciplinary logic where the patient would become “subject “?
In a future letter, we will imagine a team of scientists from different horizons of fundamental and applied research who will try to circumscribe a human hospital approach, compatible and complementary to this “new industry”, by placing the patient at the heart of the hospital actor of his care.
Frédéric Paulus CEVOI (Center for the Study of Indian Ocean Life)
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