Question about Berlin Patient

[Notsoimportant]

Hello everyone,

I know there is a man that we call Berlin Patient (Timothy Ray Brown) and scientists say he is functionally cured. However, I would like if someone can explain me what functional cure means.

1. If he have a sex can he transmit HIV?
2. Can he get HIV negative baby?

Thank you.

[Notsoimportant]

Anyone else? :)

[Notsoimportant]

Thank you for the answer.

I agree, there are more questions than answers. I am not an expert, just a normal guy and I guess that functional cure will bring the same situation as using daily pills. It is undetectable and low risky for transmit (not zero) but you cannot get a baby without sperm washing. That is what I think, but who knows? In my opinion, you just do not need to take daily pills.

I am sure there will be a functional cure that you cannot transmit HIV (zero risk) and you can get healthy baby without special techniques -- with virus in reservoirs, but who care about reservoirs in this case. That day is really too far. Maybe 15 years or more, but who knows? Did we know for Berlin Patient when doctors were trying to did what they did? Absolutely no. I think? This is what gives me hope because I know that someone is working on something excited but the hope success.

Let me know what you think. I would appreciate.

[RubyWitch]

You have asked an interesting question, but one that is definitely beyond MY ability to answer. Virologist all over the world are studying Mr.Brown, but his "cure," at this point in time, is presenting more questions than answers. Perhaps someone on this forum has been following this much more closely than I have and can give you much more information. I don't like to advise people to Google anything, but in this case, it's probably going to be your best bet to obtaining the information your looking for.
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What is the difference between a functional and sterilizing cure?

There are two types of broadly defined approaches to curing HIV infection:
Elimination of all HIV-infected cells (a sterilizing cure)
Life-long control of virus in the absence of ART without achieving complete eradication of HIV (a functional cure)  
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As to the two questions you posed above, I would have to do much more research than I have time for right now. I hope YOUR research nets you the answers you're seeking.