Two people living with HIV are now in long-term remission after receiving stem cell transplants. This means they no longer have any signs of the virus in their bodies, even though they stopped taking antiretroviral therapy (ART). If their remission continues, they would be the ninth and 10th known people to stay virus-free without ongoing ART, according to researchers at the 2025 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections.

The two men, called the “Chicago patient” and the “Oslo patient,” both had HIV for about 14 years before their transplants. They had stem cell transplants to treat serious blood cancers.

A stem cell transplant is a treatment that replaces damaged or unhealthy bone marrow with healthy cells. These new cells usually come from a donor and are often used to treat cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.

Each man’s case helped researchers learn more about how HIV remission might work.

The Chicago patient, age 67, had acute myeloid leukemia. After his transplant, he stopped taking ART, but the virus came back. He started treatment again, then later stopped it — and this time, the virus stayed away. He’s been in remission for 10 months. This is the first time doctors have seen remission happen after the virus returned once.

The Oslo patient, age 58, got a stem cell transplant with cells from his brother. His brother had a rare genetic change called CCR5-delta-32, which blocks HIV from entering cells. This made the donor’s cells resistant to the virus. The Oslo patient had myelodysplastic syndrome, a blood condition that can lead to leukemia. He stopped ART two years ago and has stayed virus-free since then.

In both cases, the donor’s HIV-resistant cells took over the person’s immune system. This helped stop the virus from coming back.

How These Cases Advance HIV Research

These cases give hope, because HIV does not have a cure yet. Most people with the virus take ART every day to keep it under control. These cases show that it may be possible to reach remission without lifelong treatment — but it’s not easy.

Stem cell transplants are very risky and expensive. They are usually only done when someone also has a life-threatening cancer. That means this is not a treatment most people with HIV can or should try.

Still, each successful remission helps researchers learn. Scientists hope this knowledge will lead to new, safer treatments that more people can use.

Health experts are now looking beyond blocking HIV from entering cells. They’re also trying to shrink the viral reservoir — a small group of infected cells that hide in the body. This new focus may help create better treatment options in the future.

If you’re living with HIV, talk to your doctor before changing your treatment. ART is still very effective and important for most people.

Learn the latest on available treatments for HIV.

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