In our journal Progress in Immunology, a special issue is calling for papers about HIV/AIDS.

Scientists have spent tens of years fighting against acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is caused by HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus. The bodies will be fragile and vulnerable due to destroyed immune systems. HIV has a lipid bilayer membrane, attaching proteins such as the trimeric transmembrane glycoprotein gp41 and the surface glycoprotein gp120, surrounding two strands of RNA, and 15 types of viral proteins. Being HIV positive doesn’t mean having AIDS. HIV attacks and destroys CD4 T-cells. If there are less than 200 CD4 T-cells per cubic millimeter of blood, HIV infection advances to AIDS.

A sensitive and specific test for antibodies to HIV that could be used for diagnosing individuals and for large-scale screening is a critical advance, which allows for readily identifying asymptomatic individuals infected with HIV and describes more accurately the true clinical course of HIV disease. With an ELISA (enzyme-linked immunoassay) to detect antibodies to HIV, the blood supplies were screened for HIV and rendered extremely safe, preventing millions of potential transfusion-related infections.

The development of effective antiretroviral drugs for treating individuals infected with HIV also achieves impressive scientific advances. Drug discovery for HIV centers on an appreciation of vulnerable targets in the replication cycle of the virus. In this special issue of Progress in Immunology, we are sincerely soliciting papers on the research of HIV/AIDS. The following topics are highly welcome but not limited to: the evolution and origins of HIV subtypes, the test of HIV, the prevention of HIV/AIDS, the therapy of AIDS, the research on drugs, HIV global epidemiology, etc.

the evolution and origins of HIV subtypes, the test of HIV, the prevention of HIV/AIDS, the therapy of AIDS, the research on drugs, HIV global epidemiology, etc.