Isolation of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1).

In 2008 Barré-Sinoussi and Montagnier shared half of the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine "for their discovery of human immunodeficiency virus." The other half of the prize was awarded to Harald zur Hausen "for his discovery of human papilloma viruses causing cervical cancer."

With J. C. Chermann, F. Rey, M.T. Nugeyre, S. Chamaret, J. Gruest, C. Dauguet, C. Axler-Blin ], F. Vezinet-Brun, C. Rouzioux, W. Rozenbaum. Bibcode:1983Sci...220..868B. doi:10.1126/science.6189183. PMID 6189183.i

See also Nos. 11059 and 12600.

Order of authorship in the original publication: Montagnier, Dauguet,... Barré-Sinoussi. In this paper Montagnier and colleagues showed that, contrary to the views of Gallo and his group, LAV (Lymphadenopathy Associated Virus) was not antigenically related to HTLV, that it was very antigenically and morphologically related to EIAV (Equine Infectious Anemia Virus), a lentivirus, and that the p25 protein of LAV is not related to the p24 protein of HTLV. They also showed that the EM morphology of LAV is very similar to EIAV, as are its dimensions, that LAV has a strict tropism for OKT4 helper lymphocytes (See No. 11042). They also showed that when LAV infects a cell line it is lytic for those cells, whereas HTLVs immortalize the cells.

See also the following paper by the authors presented at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories on September 15, 1983: "A new human lymphotropic retrovirus: Characterization and possible role in lymphadenopathy and acquired immune deficiency syndromes," published as pp.363-369 in Gallo, R.C.; Essex, M., Gross, L., eds., Human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus. Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 1984.

(Thanks for Juan Weiss for this entry and its interpretation.)

The authors mentioned in a footnote added at the end of the paper that "A specific ELISA test with total LAV proteins detects LAV-speciic antibodies in 95% of LAS patients and 70-95% of AIDS depending on the risk group and the stage of the disease."  This was the first announcement of the development of the ELISA HIV/AIDS antibody test. This remains the first test for HIV/AIDs given to patients who show signs of the disease.
(Order of authorship in the original publication: Kalytanaraman, Cabradilla,...Barré-Sinousi, Montagnier....).

(Thanks to Juan Weiss for this reference and its interpretation.)