HIV/AIDS research in India: past, present and future

Since the first report on the serodiagnosis of HIV-1 infection in 1987, several laboratories from India have contributed significantly to the knowledge of HIV/AIDS over the years. These reports span a wide range of disciplines including serological and molecular characterization of the viral strains circulating in India; elucidation and characterization of the recombinant strains; study of the economic impact of the viral infection; examination of the immune profile of the host; delineating the natural history of HIV-1/AIDS; evaluation of the awareness among general populations; molecular validation of the primary viral isolates and study of their pathogenic properties including neuro-pathogenesis; developing and evaluating alternative therapeutic strategies for HIV/AIDS; vaccine development and validation in human clinical trials, etc. The quantum of academic research in India is driven mainly by individual investigators affiliated to research institutions, universities and clinics spread across the country, with a few research institutes and non-government organizations making significant contributions. Given the space restriction and the volume of the research that has appeared in peer-reviewed journals, it would not be possible to encompass all this work in the present review. This review primarily focuses on a few basic and application-oriented research reports that appeared over the years from India. Additionally, attention will be drawn to several other elegantly written reviews that focused on areas that have not been covered here.