Today, University of Minnesota physicians will perform the world’s first cord blood transplant designed specifically to cure a pediatric patient of HIV/AIDS and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

The procedure will take place at the University of Minnesota Medical Center and will be completed by a clinical team composed of transplant physicians Michael Verneris, M.D. and John Wagner, M.D., of the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, and HIV/AIDS infectious disease specialist Timothy Schacker, M.D.

The breakthrough nature of the case stems from the use of cord blood (the blood extracted from the placenta after a baby is born) that contains a variant of the cell surface protein CCR5 – known as CCR5Δ32.  Present in less than one percent of the population, CCR5Δ32 prevents most strains of the HIV virus from entering a patient’s T cells, ultimately protecting against the destruction of the host’s immune system.

“What we’re attempting is a first and potentially landmark case for the HIV/AIDS community,” said Wagner, an internationally recognized stem cell transplant expert and pioneer in cord blood transplantation at the University of Minnesota. “This now offers patients with HIV and leukemia or lymphoma new hope.  But even more importantly, this should compel cord blood banks worldwide to identify how many cord blood units with CCR5Δ32 exist within the inventory. We also hope this case prompts others to find novel ways to block or alter CCR5 to mimic this protective variant.”

Over the next few days, Health Talk is highlighting University of Minnesota health professional students’ stories about their experiences at the U of M’s student-run Phillips Neighborhood Clinic.

College of Pharmacy student, Phat Tran, starts the week off by highlighting his experiences at the clinic.

For the underserved, paying for quality health care can simply be out of the question. Thankfully the Phillips Neighborhood Clinic (PNC) is available to provide free health care in the Phillips neighborhood and surrounding areas to those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it.

The clinic celebrates its tenth anniversary this month.

The PNC is operated by University of Minnesota health professional students and are supervised by licensed clinicians. At the PNC, U of M health professional students studying everything from physical therapy to pharmacy and nursing are able to hone their skills to effectively and compassionately serve patients in need.

Women of child-bearing age may soon find their primary care clinician asking new sets of questions designed to screen for signs of intimate partner violence after a new series of recommendations from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force.

The recommendations are a departure from previous assessments by the group, who in 2004 had found insufficient evidence to support such screenings.

So why the change of course now?

In making their recommendation, the task force cited new evidence demonstrating a “low risk, moderate benefit” to health providers screening their patients for intimate partner violence, a term that includes physical violence, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, stalking and reproductive coercion.  They also pointed to effective and easy-to-use screening tools available to physicians.  The ultimate goal is to help more women reach the interventions needed to extricate themselves from the cycle of abuse.