In 2008, a 35-year-old Indonesian man named Dede Koswara, better known as “tree man,” earned a certain level of (unwanted) celebrity when he was made the subject of a number of news stories and documentaries on ABC, TLC, Discovery, and other outlets. Due to a rare genetic problem with Dede’s immune system, he has been unable to fight the HPV infection, or Human Papilloma Virus, causing his body to produce massive, tree-like warts, primarily on his arms and legs, making even the most basic tasks and movements nearly impossible. Following a diagnosis by Dr. Anthony Gaspari, chairman of the department of dermatology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, Dede has been able to start a new treatment%u2014however it will be months, at least, before the efficacy of the treatment is known.