Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) – the etiologic agent of AIDS – is one of the most intensively studied disease organisms in history. Since its first identification in the early 1980s, HIV has transformed into a pandemic, globally infecting more 36 million people and annually contributing to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of patients – particularly in low income countries. This Milestone charts the history of HIV research on an interactive Timeline, from its origins to the latest developments in HIV treatment, vaccines and insights from the study of HIV/AIDS pathogenesis.
This Milestone is editorially independent, produced with financial support from a third party.
About
this content.