After bone marrow transplant, two HIV free

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BOSTON, July 27 (UPI) -- Two men with HIV who were treated with bone marrow transplants to treat lymphoma are now free of the virus, U.S. researchers said.

Dr. Timothy Henrich and colleagues at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found the two HIV patients with lymphoma who had received a bone marrow stem cell transplant while continuing their HIV medications.

The bone marrow is the key foundation of the immune system cells that HIV infects and it is the expected region for physicians to look for HIV's reservoirs, Henrich said.

Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, also of Brigham and Women's Hospital, said prior to the bone marrow transplant HIV DNA was present in both patients.

The researchers said during the bone marrow transplant, the patients' cells were replaced by donor cells and they suspect the donor cells killed off and replaced the disease-ridden cells, Medical Daily reported.

The findings were presented at the International AIDS Conference in Washington.