●20 years of HIV science. The July issue of Nature Medicine features a special collection of articles on the history of HIV research since its discovery 20 years ago and the challenges for the future, such as vaccination. Articles, including the following, are freely available on the website (http://www.nature.com/nm/special_focus/hiv/): HIV vaccines 1983–2003. McMichael, A. J. & Hanke, T. and Immunopathogenesis and immunotherapy in AIDS virus infections. Letvin, N. L. & Walker, B. D.

●Clinical development of gene therapy for colorectal cancer Kerr, D. Nature Reviews Cancer August (2003) This review includes a description of early-phase clinical trials using immunogenetic strategies for the treatment of colorectal cancer. These involve the manipulation of MHC expression by tumour cells, expression of interleukin-2 and carcinoembryonic antigen vaccines.

●Therapeutic approaches to innate immunity: severe sepsis and septic shock Lolis, E. & Bucala, R. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery August (2003)

●Adverse effects of antiretroviral therapy and drug development Carr, A. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery August (2003) This review describes the side effects of antiretroviral therapy for the chronic treatment of HIV, and indicates how more detailed study of these reactions could improve the future development of antiretroviral drugs.

●Toll gets tied in a knot Underhill, D. Nature Immunology August (2003) This News & Views article looks at the recent finding that Spätzle dimers can act as a cytokine in Drosophila by binding directly to Toll.

●Attack on amyloid. International Titisee conference on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease: from basic science to therapeutic treatment Kahle, P. J. & de Strooper, B. EMBO Reports August (2003) This meeting report describes the development of immunotherapy for clearing extracellular lesions of misfolded amyloid β-peptide in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

●Anthrax delivers a lethal blow to host immunity Starnbach, M. N. & Collier, R. J. Nature Medicine August (2003)

●Tropical diseases: raiding the medicine cabinet Butler, D. Nature 3 July (2003) A news article describing the work of Médecins sans Frontières in launching the non-profit Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, which aims to develop and distribute life-saving treatments for tropical diseases to the world's poorest populations.