Cured : how the Berlin patients defeated HIV and forever changed medical science /
Holt, Nathalia,1980-author.
A young molecular biologist at the forefront of HIV research, Nathalia Holt tells the historic, multilayered, and compassionate story of two patients--each known in medical literature as the Berlin Patient--and their young research-minded doctors. The backdrop is nothing less than a revolution in cultural attitudes and medical thinking. These two patients' disparate cures came twelve years apart: the first in 1996 from an experimental cancer drug, the other in 2008 from a bone marrow transplant of cells with a particular genetic mutation. Holt connects the molecular dots of these two cases for the first time, providing insight into one of the most important medical breakthroughs of our generation.--From publisher description.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-295) and index.
A doctor, two patients, and some tests. The good doctor in denial ; A visit with the family doctor ; Death sentence? -- The disease, a drug, and its industry. Viral Trojan horse ; A weapon from the war on cancer ; The days of acting up ; Recognizing a global pandemic ; From the one percent ; But, Doctor, I don't feel sick ; The Delta 32 Mutation ; Calling all elite controllers ; Treatment in hiding -- Treating the Berlin patients. The second diagnosis ; The compassionate use exemption ; Three deadly diseases move in ; The comfort of family and strangers ; Timing ; Transplanting ; "Perhaps we have eradicated HIV" ; An unexciting recovery -- The cure. Trials ; Proof of principle ; The good doctor in court ; Not even surprising ; The promise kept ; A child cured-- so what? ; Zinc finger snap ; The abused, the respected, and relentless.
A young molecular biologist at the forefront of HIV research, Nathalia Holt tells the historic, multilayered, and compassionate story of two patients--each known in medical literature as the Berlin Patient--and their young research-minded doctors. The backdrop is nothing less than a revolution in cultural attitudes and medical thinking. These two patients' disparate cures came twelve years apart: the first in 1996 from an experimental cancer drug, the other in 2008 from a bone marrow transplant of cells with a particular genetic mutation. Holt connects the molecular dots of these two cases for the first time, providing insight into one of the most important medical breakthroughs of our generation.--From publisher description.
HIV infections
Gene therapy