A brief history of HIV vaccine research: stepping back to the drawing board?

In September 2007, it was announced that the most promising HIV vaccine trial had to be stopped because it had failed to show the protection that was hoped for. Here, the history of HIV vaccine development from the discovery of HIV-1 in 1983 until 2008, the underlying ideas on protective immunity to HIV and potential avenues for vaccine research are discussed. (C) 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.