Leukemia can be an absolutely devastating form of cancer, especially in young children. One of the most aggressive cancers, leukemia can resurface multiple times, as it has with six-year-old Emma.
After the second recurrence, the doctors decided to take a very bold approach: using HIV to fight the cancer.
Yes, you read that correctly: doctors removed healthy T-cells from Emma’s body and infected them with a modified version of the HIV virus, which will genetically change to fight the leukemia cells.
“It’s a procedure where we collect their T-cells and they’re infected with a virus that will genetically change them so that they will now see and react against their leukemia cells,” said David L. Porter, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania.
“And we actually use the HIV virus to do that,” added Carl H. June, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania.
Fighting fire with fire, HIV, which was once regarded as an end-of-society virus, can now be used in a positive manner, as it can be engineered without causing disease.
Check out the video below to learn more about the remarkable procedure that now has Emma living cancer free!
