Fw: [ibt-cure] Brown, now HIV-negative, embodies hope at conference

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http://www.MyDesert.com/article/20120311/NEWS01/203110334/-Brown-embodies-hope-HIV-AIDS-Conference-Berlin-Patient Brown, now HIV-negative, embodies hope at conferenceHIV/AIDS gathering takes place Saturday in Rancho Mirage12:58 AM, Mar. 11, 2012 Dr. Rick Loftus of Eisenhower Medical Center presents the panel of speakers Saturday at the second annual HIV/AIDS Conference. / Tamara H. Sone, The Desert SunWritten byTamara H. SoneThe Desert SunRANCHO MIRAGE — If there was one word to describe the focus of the second annual HIV/AIDS Conference Saturday at the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences in Rancho Mirage, it would be “hope.”Hope that an HIV-positive diagnosis wouldn't mean a stigmatized life that could possibly result in an early death.Hope that thousands of men, women and children around the world can be saved from this terrible disease.Hope that a cure is at hand.For the more than 100 attendees who filed into the center's auditorium inside the Eisenhower Medical Center, 39-000 Bob Hope Drive, hope walked and talked via keynote speaker Brown.Brown is the first person to undergo a specific treatment that has been credited with reverting his HIV-positive status to negative.Before going public with his story, he was known only as "The Berlin Patient.”Brown talked to attendees about his often painful, and sometimes life-threatening treatments, as well as how his health is now.“I know my treatment is not about to become a commonplace procedure to cure HIV. It is dangerous, it is expensive, but my experience has shown that a cure is possible,” Brown said.He was HIV-positive and living in Berlin when he was diagnosed with leukemia and underwent two stem cell transplants in 2007 and 2008 to treat the cancer.His doctors sought a donor with a rare genetic mutation in the hope it would also address his HIV infection.As a result, the stem cell transplant replaced his cancerous white blood cells with the donor's noncancerous ones.Since then, the HIV has been brought down to undetectable levels in his bloodstream.Dr. a Cannon of the USC Institute for Emerging Pathogens and Immune Diseases, and Dr. Rossi of the Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope presented information on HIV medical studies and the progress toward eradicating the virus.Jeff , a Coachella Valley AIDS activist and one of the event's organizers, updated the audience about what is being done to propel the studies forward.“I think gene therapy and stem cell therapy combination is the way to go. I've thought that to myself for a long time,” local Steve Burciaga, who heard about the event through the Desert AIDS Project said.“Whether or not a cure is going to happen in my lifetime, I'm not sure. But I'm hopeful.”Even though the news that a cure for HIV could be on the horizon, there were still a few skeptics in the crowd.“It just seems like Tim Brown's situation is too unique, too good to be true,” said Palm Springs resident Dennis Kulp, who described himself as an HIV/AIDS activist, who attended the conference to hear Brown. “I feel like in a way his story is a one-time thing. I'd like to think it could happen to all of us — we'd all be cured — but I think that would be false hope.”During the conference, that ran from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., HIV/AIDS experts from Clínicas De Salude, ABC Recovery Center, and other organizations educated attendees about bone health and nutrition, and HIV and street drugs. JefferysCoordinator, Palm Basic Science, Vaccines & Prevention ProjectTreatment Action Group261 Fifth Ave., Suite 2110New York, NY 10016 USATel +1 212 253 7922Fax +1 212 253 7923richard.jefferys@...http://tagbasicscienceproject.typepad.com/http://www.treatmentactiongroup.org

[ibt-cure] Brown, now HIV-negative, embodies hope at conference

http://www.MyDesert.com/article/20120311/NEWS01/203110334/-Brown-embodies-hope-HIV-AIDS-Conference-Berlin-Patient

Brown, now HIV-negative, embodies hope at conference

HIV/AIDS gathering takes place Saturday in Rancho Mirage

12:58 AM, Mar. 11, 2012 Dr. Rick Loftus of Eisenhower Medical Center presents the panel of speakers Saturday at the second annual HIV/AIDS Conference. / Tamara H. Sone, The Desert Sun

Written by

Tamara H. Sone

The Desert Sun

RANCHO MIRAGE — If there was one word to describe the focus of the second annual HIV/AIDS Conference Saturday at the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences in Rancho Mirage, it would be “hope.”

Hope that an HIV-positive diagnosis wouldn't mean a stigmatized life that could possibly result in an early death.

Hope that thousands of men, women and children around the world can be saved from this terrible disease.

Hope that a cure is at hand.

For the more than 100 attendees who filed into the center's auditorium inside the Eisenhower Medical Center, 39-000 Bob Hope Drive, hope walked and talked via keynote speaker Brown.

Brown is the first person to undergo a specific treatment that has been credited with reverting his HIV-positive status to negative.

Before going public with his story, he was known only as "The Berlin Patient.”

Brown talked to attendees about his often painful, and sometimes life-threatening treatments, as well as how his health is now.

“I know my treatment is not about to become a commonplace procedure to cure HIV. It is dangerous, it is expensive, but my experience has shown that a cure is possible,” Brown said.

He was HIV-positive and living in Berlin when he was diagnosed with leukemia and underwent two stem cell transplants in 2007 and 2008 to treat the cancer.

His doctors sought a donor with a rare genetic mutation in the hope it would also address his HIV infection.

As a result, the stem cell transplant replaced his cancerous white blood cells with the donor's noncancerous ones.

Since then, the HIV has been brought down to undetectable levels in his bloodstream.

Dr. a Cannon of the USC Institute for Emerging Pathogens and Immune Diseases, and Dr. Rossi of the Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope presented information on HIV medical studies and the progress toward eradicating the virus.

Jeff , a Coachella Valley AIDS activist and one of the event's organizers, updated the audience about what is being done to propel the studies forward.

“I think gene therapy and stem cell therapy combination is the way to go. I've thought that to myself for a long time,” local Steve Burciaga, who heard about the event through the Desert AIDS Project said.

“Whether or not a cure is going to happen in my lifetime, I'm not sure. But I'm hopeful.”

Even though the news that a cure for HIV could be on the horizon, there were still a few skeptics in the crowd.

“It just seems like Tim Brown's situation is too unique, too good to be true,” said Palm Springs resident Dennis Kulp, who described himself as an HIV/AIDS activist, who attended the conference to hear Brown. “I feel like in a way his story is a one-time thing. I'd like to think it could happen to all of us — we'd all be cured — but I think that would be false hope.”

During the conference, that ran from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., HIV/AIDS experts from Clínicas De Salude, ABC Recovery Center, and other organizations educated attendees about bone health and nutrition, and HIV and street drugs.

Jefferys

Coordinator, Palm Basic Science, Vaccines Prevention Project

Treatment Action Group

261 Fifth Ave., Suite 2110

New York, NY 10016 USA

Tel +1 212 253 7922

Fax +1 212 253 7923

richard.jefferys@...

http://tagbasicscienceproject.typepad.com/

http://www.treatmentactiongroup.org