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When AIDS was first identified in the 1980s, it was considered a death sentence. The advent of powerful triple-drug therapy transformed it into a chronic disease. Now, researchers say a child may have been cured of HIV infection Experts are cautious about making too much of a single case. But the news has them talking with unprecedented optimism that if caught early, at least some patients could be saved from a lifetime of infection. Tim Brown is one of only two people ever to be considered cured of HIV infection. But it was not easy. He also had leukemia. A bone marrow transplant from a donor with a rare mutation cured his HIV. “The first transplant went well," said Brown. "But the second one was pretty horrible. And I wouldn’t wish what I went through on my worst enemy.” The latest case, at the University of Mississippi, was different. A baby born to an untreated HIV-positive mother was given a combination of anti-AIDS drugs within hours of birth. The patient has not been identified. The therapy itself was not unusual, says Dr. Paul Volberding of the University of California at San Francisco. He spoke to VOA via Skype. “The treatment was really just regular antiretroviral therapy, HIV drugs," said Volberding. "So in contrast to the first reported cure, this is one that has a lot broader potential implications.” That means that the early and aggressive treatment the child received may rid the body of the virus before it can take hold. If the results hold up to scrutiny, it’s significant, says Harvard School of Public Health professor Richard Marlink also reached via Skype. | 
