News
London man second patient to be cured of HIV
A second patient has been cured of HIV after undergoing stem cell transplant treatment, doctors said Tuesday, after finding no trace of infection 30 months after he stopped traditional treatment.
ALSO READ:Issa Aremu Praises Buhari Over Executive Order 009, Border Closure
The so-called “London Patient”, a cancer sufferer originally from Venezuela, made headlines last year when researchers at the University of Cambridge reported they had found no trace of the AIDS-causing virus in his blood for 18 months.
Ravindra Gupta, lead author of the study published in The Lancet HIV, said the new test results were “even more remarkable” and likely demonstrated the patient was cured.
“We’ve tested a sizeable set of sites that HIV likes to hide in and they are all pretty much negative for an active virus,” Gupta told AFP.
The patient, who revealed his identity this week as Adam Castillejo, 40, was diagnosed with HIV in 2003 and had been on medication to keep the disease in check since 2012.
Later that year, he was diagnosed with advanced Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a deadly cancer.
In 2016 he underwent a bone marrow transplant to treat blood cancer, receiving stem cells from donors with a genetic mutation present in less than one percent of Europeans that prevents HIV from taking hold.
He becomes only the second person to be cured of HIV after American Timothy Brown, known as the “Berlin Patient”, recovered from HIV in 2011 following similar treatment.
Viral tests of Castillejo’s cerebral fluid, intestinal tissue and lymphoid tissue more than two years after stopping antiretroviral treatment showed no active infection.
Gupta said the tests uncovered HIV “fossils” — fragments of the virus that were now incapable of reproducing, and were therefore safe.
“We’d expect that,” he said.
“It’s quite hard to imagine that all trace of a virus that infects billions of cells was eliminated from the body.”
– Ethical dilemma –
Researchers cautioned that the breakthrough did not constitute a generalised cure for HIV, which leads to nearly one million deaths every year.
Castillejo’s treatment was a “last resort” as his blood cancer would likely have killed him without intervention, according to Gupta.
The Cambridge doctor said that there were “several other” patients who had undergone similar treatment but who were less far along in their remission.
“There will probably be more but they will take time,” he said.
Researchers are currently weighing up whether or not patients suffering from drug-resistant forms of HIV might be eligible for stem cell transplants in future, something Gupta said would require careful ethical consideration.
“You’d have to weigh up the fact that there’s a 10-percent mortality rate from doing a stem-cell transplant against what the risk of death would be if we did nothing,” he said.
Commenting on The Lancet study, Sharon Lewin, an infectious disease expert at the University of Melbourne, said the findings could provide comfort to patients.
But she advised caution.
“Given the large number of cells sampled here and the absence of any intact virus, is the London patient cured?” she said.
“Unfortunately in the end, only time will tell.”
News
Hon. Hafiz Kawu Calls for Unity, Highlights Tinubu and Governor Yusuf’s Achievements in Kano
Hon. Hafiz Kawu, Honourable Commissioner at PENCOM, has urged APC supporters and faithfuls in Kano State to rally behind the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf. Speaking live during a radio program in Kano, Hon. Kawu OON, MNI delivered a compelling message of reconciliation and renewed commitment to the ruling party’s vision for development.
In his remarks, Hon. Kawu emphasized the importance of President Tinubu’s administration to Kano’s progress, pointing to several landmark projects that have reshaped the state’s infrastructure and economic outlook. He cited the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Expressway reconstruction and the dualization of the Kano–Kongolom Road as evidence of federal commitment to easing transportation and boosting trade. He also highlighted the modernization of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport and the approval of the Kano Light Rail project as transformative investments in transportation.
Hon. Kawu further pointed to the AKK Gas Pipeline as a strategic investment that will power industries, create jobs, and strengthen Kano’s role as a commercial hub. He noted that the appointments of Kano indigenes into key federal positions demonstrate the President’s recognition of Kano’s strategic importance in national politics.
Turning to state-level initiatives, Hon. Kawu praised Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s urban renewal and rural connectivity projects, including the construction of the Dan Agundi Interchange, the Tal’udu Cloverleaf Overpass, and the revival of 5KM roads across 44 local governments. He described these projects as complementary to federal efforts, ensuring that both urban and rural communities benefit from development.
Addressing internal party divisions, Hon. Kawu noted: “This is the time to set aside differences and return to the fold. The projects we see today are only the beginning of greater things to come under APC leadership. Unity is the key to victory, and victory is the key to sustaining development.”
His live radio broadcast blended detailed references to federal achievements under President Tinubu with state-level initiatives under Governor Yusuf, leaving listeners with a clear message: Kano’s future is tied to APC’s success, and every supporter has a role to play in securing that future.
As the broadcast concluded, Hon. Kawu emphasized that cohesion across the APC structure remains the decisive factor in the political contest ahead. He stressed that only a united APC — working seamlessly from the grassroots to the national stage — can secure victories across all levels of governance and sustain the momentum of development. His words positioned unity not as a plea, but as a strategic imperative for the party’s continued dominance and for the progress of Kano and Nigeria at large.
News
Nigeria Is Not a Muslim Country — Rev Dachomo Counters Sheikh Jingir
The Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, has rejected comments by Islamic cleric, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, that Nigeria is a Muslim country.
Jingir had reportedly made the remarks during a programme in Kano State over the weekend while expressing support for the continuation of a Muslim-Muslim political arrangement.
The cleric argued that Muslims constitute the majority in Nigeria and should therefore have the opportunity to lead the country. He also reportedly referred to Christians as infidels and suggested that Christians who were unhappy with the arrangement could leave the country.
Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, Dachomo strongly opposed the comments, insisting that Nigeria is a multi-religious nation and “is not and can never be a Muslim country.”
The COCIN chairman cautioned Jingir and other religious leaders against making statements capable of deepening religious divisions or creating hostility between Christians and Muslims.
Dachomo argued that political leadership should not be determined by religious numerical strength but by competence, justice, good governance and the ability to protect the lives and property of all Nigerians.
“Nigeria is a multi-religious country in which Muslims and Christians have historically participated in the political process and contributed to the development of the nation,” he said.
He urged religious leaders to exercise caution when commenting on political matters, particularly issues capable of affecting relations between religious communities.
According to him, linking political leadership to religious majority could create the impression that one faith has greater ownership of Nigeria than another.
“I urge religious leaders to be mindful of their public statements, particularly when discussing politics and issues capable of affecting relations between different religious communities,” Dachomo added.
News
Muslim-Muslim ticket: No regret over my statement – Sheikh Jingir
Islamic cleric and leader of the Izala Scholars Council, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, has stood his ground over his Muslim-Muslim ticket comments and description of Christians as “infidels.”
Speaking in an interview with the BBC, Jingir said he had no regrets over his recent declaration of support for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, despite the criticism trailing the statement.
He said his position was not politically motivated or intended to campaign for President Bola Tinubu, but was based on what he described as his responsibility as a Muslim.
According to the Islamic cleric, he would continue to support and encourage Muslims to back a Muslim-Muslim ticket, regardless of the criticism his position might attract.
“I have no regrets. I will continue to support and encourage the Muslim-Muslim ticket. What they say will not stop me. They started it; at a point, we suffered in their hands,” he alleged.
DAILY POST recalls that Jingir, during a mass wedding organised by the Kano State Government for 1,500 couples, declared his support for the Muslim-Muslim arrangement and urged Muslims to vote in a manner that would demonstrate their numerical strength in the country.
He further stated that, as a Muslim preacher, he had the right to advocate a political arrangement that was consistent with his religious convictions.
The cleric also challenged claims that Christians or other religious groups constituted a larger proportion of Nigeria’s population than Muslims.
His remarks have continued to generate reactions, with some commentators describing them as divisive, while others have defended his right to express his religious and political views.
-
Uncategorized6 years agoFG, states urged to harness flooding for ranching, others with technology – Agbaje
-
Headlines11 years agoBreaking: EFCC seals Borno House of Assembly, as Hon members take to their heels
-
News12 years agoNigeria Security Operatives Stage Manhunt For Homosexual Perpetrator
-
News9 years agoHow 21-year-old Girl fled community over accusation of lesbianism
-
News10 years agoYobe Gov Moves Against Deputy
-
Opinion7 years ago7 signs she has friend zoned you
-
Technology5 years ago
Online job placement company headhunts women
-
Headlines10 years agoBorno Dep Gov Abducts Another Church Leader
