Timothy Ray Brown is the first man cured of AIDS, the result of the discovery of an apparent HIV immunity gene.

Mr. Brown tested positive for HIV back in 1995, but has now entered scientific journals as the first man in world history to have that HIV virus completely eliminated from his body in what doctors call a “functional cure.”

Timothy was dealing with HIV and Leukemia in 2007 when scientists there gave him a bone marrow stem cell transplant that had beyond belief results. “I quit taking my HIV medication the day that I got the transplant and haven’t had to take any since,” said Brown. Scientists said Brown received stem cells from a donor who was immune to HIV.

About one percent of Caucasians are immune to HIV. Some researchers think the immunity gene goes back to the Great Plague: people who survived the plague passed their immunity down and their heirs have it today.

Doctors stressed that Brown’s radical procedure may not be applicable to many other people with HIV, because of the difficulty in doing stem cell transplants, and finding the right donor. The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine plans to begin clinical trials next year.

Video of Interview with Timothy Ray Brown: