《新英格蘭醫學雜志》最新刊登一篇專題文章，介紹一位美國的HIV攜帶患者，在德國通過骨髓移植手術，不僅擺脫了終生服藥，同時也沒有復發。

這一病例的成功為HIV的基因治療帶來了新希望。以往患者必須通過長時間服用昂貴的藥物才能控制病情。以這位接受手術的美國患者為例，他被診斷HIV陽性已經有十年，之前他一直靠抗后病毒藥物治療，但之后他的病情發展到白血病。于是，當他住進柏林的醫院后，主治醫生Hutter博士為他制定的針對性的治療計劃。

醫生為他特別尋找了體內具有HIV抗體的骨髓捐助者。醫學研究者發現，有一些人體內天生就帶有HIV抗體，在西方人中，約有1%-3%的人具有這種特質。在完成骨髓移植手術二年后，這位病人不僅不必再服用藥物治療，之前的白血病也消失了，造血機能得以恢復。

目前在歐洲，一般的HIV平均治療費用是每年七萬至八萬歐元，而一次性的骨髓移植手術只需要花費兩萬歐元。Hutter博士表示，也并不是每個人都適合骨髓移值，因為找到合適的骨髓捐助人非常不容易。但如果將這種療法稍加修改，通過基因療法，研究出HIV的抗體，是完全可能的。這無疑為醫學界打開了一扇新窗。

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，英國使館文化教育處提供）