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out of options, he was being treated for leukemia, a rare and often fatal disease in adults. when chemotherapy failed, doctors turned to an experimental treatment. robin roberts went to visit him in december. i think i am on the right road. i think i am on the right road. reporter: doctors took out millions of david s disease fighting white blood cells. then used a retro virus which is great to getting into human immune systems to turn the cells into targeted cancer fighters. david s cells went back in and destroyed the cancer. acting like a living drug. the first patient to have similar treatment was 7-year-old emma whitehead. she is in complete remission. she has a ton of energy. she is doing wonderful right now. reporter: researchers report on the safety of the treatment in five more patients. what we saw just blew us away. the cancers went away in a matter of weeks, even days. reporter: days? days in one case.
genetically altered hiv virus to get into human immune systems to change those cells to target cancer fighters. they went back in and destroyed the cancer. dr. steven gruff is a pioneer. using hiv to infiltrate the immune system. all of the things that make the hiv virus to cause disease have been removed from this particular virus, so its only purpose is to put a gene into a cell. for me, it s incredibly exciting. reporter: here s emma, just eight months later. doctors can t find any remaining cancer cells. she is in complete remission. she has no leukemia in her body, by even the most sensitive tests. she has a ton of energy. she s doing wonderful right now. this treatment was a miracle. reporter: emma is counting the days until christmas. her parents are busy counting their blessings. the treatment does wipe out part of the immune system, so she has
get into human immune systems to change those cells to target cancer fighters. they went back in and destroyed the cancer. dr. steven gruff is a pioneer. using hiv to infiltrate the hiv system. all of the things that make the hiv virus to cause disease have been removed from this particular virus, so its only purpose is to put a gene into a cell. for me, it s incredibly exciting. reporter: here s emma, just eight months later. doctors can t find any remaining cancer cells. she is in complete remission. she has no leukemia in her body, by even the most sensitive tests. she has a ton of energy. she s doing wonderful right now. this treatment was a miracle. reporter: emma is counting the days until christmas. her parents are busy counting their blessings. the treatment does wipe out part of the immune system, so she has to receive medicine once a week, to prevent infection. but she s feeling strong and