A quarter-century after the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, the rapid pace of scientific discovery has slowed to a crawl.
The early years of the epidemic were a sprint, as researchers isolated the virus that causes AIDS, developed rapid tests for the virus and found drugs that could block its replication -- culminating 10 years ago in the introduction of drug cocktails that made long-term survival possible.
Researchers were confident that an AIDS vaccine -- perhaps even a cure -- was just around the corner.
But that optimism evaporated as scientists began to untangle the mysteries of a virus far more intractable than any they had encountered before.
At least 96 U.S.-sponsored vaccine trials are underway, but experts agree that none is likely to yield a useful product.
Potential vaginal microbicides, which would allow women more control over their own risk of infection, remain out of reach.
Although new drugs are entering the marketplace, they are the result of old research.
"The low-hanging fruits have all been picked ... and we still face huge challenges," said Dr. David Ho of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center in New York.
"This is not because of a lack of effort or because of a lack of money. It's just a fundamental problem posed by HIV."
Federal funding for HIV/AIDS research and treatment has grown from $200 million in 1985 to $21.7 billion this year.
UCLA's Dr. Andrew Saxon, one of the first to report the observation of the new disease 25 years ago, on June 5, 1981, added: "I don't think anyone appreciated how clever and difficult this virus could be.... I thought we would have had a vaccine by now and we would be entering the age of forgetfulness" about AIDS, just as the world has with smallpox and polio.
International agencies have been making strides in bringing drug therapy to poor areas and in developing prevention tools, but when it comes to fundamental research, "frankly, there isn't much new," said Dr. Jay Levy of UC San Francisco, who has studied the disease since it was identified.
"Aside from the terrible spread of the epidemic, there is simply not much news on the horizon."
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World's No. 4 Cause of Death
In the United States, more than half a million people have died from complications arising from AIDS since 1981, and an estimated 15,000 will die this year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 1 million people in the U.S. are living with the virus, and 40,000 become infected each year.
