《新英格兰医学杂志》最新刊登一篇专题文章，介绍一位美国的HIV携带患者，在德国通过骨髓移植手术，不仅摆脱了终生服药，同时也没有复发。

这一病例的成功为HIV的基因治疗带来了新希望。以往患者必须通过长时间服用昂贵的药物才能控制病情。以这位接受手术的美国患者为例，他被诊断HIV阳性已经有十年，之前他一直靠抗后病毒药物治疗，但之后他的病情发展到白血病。于是，当他住进柏林的医院后，主治医生Hutter博士为他制定的针对性的治疗计划。

医生为他特别寻找了体内具有HIV抗体的骨髓捐助者。医学研究者发现，有一些人体内天生就带有HIV抗体，在西方人中，约有1%-3%的人具有这种特质。在完成骨髓移植手术二年后，这位病人不仅不必再服用药物治疗，之前的白血病也消失了，造血机能得以恢复。

目前在欧洲，一般的HIV平均治疗费用是每年七万至八万欧元，而一次性的骨髓移植手术只需要花费两万欧元。Hutter博士表示，也并不是每个人都适合骨髓移值，因为找到合适的骨髓捐助人非常不容易。但如果将这种疗法稍加修改，通过基因疗法，研究出HIV的抗体，是完全可能的。这无疑为医学界打开了一扇新窗。

GENE THERAPY OFFERS HOPE OF CURE FOR HIV

Doctors have succeeded in ridding a man of the HIV virus by giving him a bone marrow transplant in what they claim is the closest treatment yet to a cure for the disease.

The remarkable case gives new impetus to the development of gene therapy for HIV which could ultimately replace the need for expensive and toxic antiretroviral drugs. Instead of taking drugs for life, HIV sufferers might instead have a one-off treatment that would leave them virus-free.

The 42-year-old American had been infected with HIV for a decade. He was treated with antiretroviral drugs in Berlin, where he lives, for four years to hold the disease in check, but then developed leukaemia. Since being given a bone marrow transplant two years ago, he has not taken antiretroviral drugs to control HIV and has had no resurgence of either disease. He is believed to be the longest HIV-free survivor who was previously treated with antiretroviral drugs. Full details of the case are published for the first time today in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Dr Hutter said a bone marrow transplant would be too risky as a routine treatment for HIV and too difficult to find donors with the right genetic make-up. But a modification of the approach using gene therapy to render a patient HIV-resistant could work, he said.

Even a costly treatment could be worthwhile. The price of treatment with antiretrovirals in Europe is €70,000 to €80,000 (£63,000 to £72,000) a year compared with a one-off cost of €20,000 to €30,000 for a bone marrow transplant.

Dr Hutter said: "When I started in medicine, HIV was completely untreatable. Now the situation has changed completely. Perhaps our case is a glimpse of hope for the future."

（Source: Indepedent，英国使馆文化教育处提供）