What We’re Reading: Fifth Person Cured of HIV; New Possible Future Stroke Treatment; Pushback on Proposed FDA Healthy Food Guidelines

HIV Cured in Fifth Person After Stem Cell Transplant

German researchers say a man has been cured of HIV, the fifth known person to be cured, after a stem cell transplant was carried out following several rounds of chemotherapy, reported The Hill. The study was published in Nature and described the case of a 53-year-old patient who was diagnosed with HIV and then diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia a few years later. The cancer treatment consisted of a matched stem cell transplant with someone believed to have a mutation resistant to HIV infection.

Preliminary Spinal Cord Stimulation Study Helps Patients After Stroke

A small study with 2 patients showed evidence that spinal cord stimulation focused on arm and hand weakness and paralysis can reverse the effects of a stroke, according to The New York Times. The study, published in Nature Medicine, is preliminary, and it isn’t known how long the effects will last for once the electrodes are removed. In the study, patients received a treatment 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The patients retained some of the improvement once the electrodes were removed.

Proposed Healthy Food FDA Guidelines Met With Massive Backlash from Manufacturers

Following new proposed guidelines on what can be called healthy by the FDA, various major food manufacturers have responded with backlash, even citing concerns of First Amendment right infringement on using the word “healthy,” STAT reported. The proposed guidelines were presented in September 2022 and said that for foods to be marketed as healthy, they would need to include specific amounts of nutritious ingredients such as fruits and vegetables and small amounts of added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat. The proposal was supported by some major health organizations like the American Society for Nutrition and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.