Overview
- Editors:
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Kenneth E. Ugen
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University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa
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Mauro Bendinelli
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University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Herman Friedman
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University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa
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Table of contents (15 chapters)
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Front Matter
Pages i-xxii
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- Teresa C. Gentile, Thomas P. Loughran
Pages 17-28
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- Mosi K. Bennett, Michael G. Agadjanyan
Pages 87-107
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- G. A. Dekaban, A. Peters, J. Arp, G. Franchini
Pages 109-142
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- Herman F. Staats, Jerry R. McGhee
Pages 165-190
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- Ami R. Shah, David B. Weiner, Jean D. Boyer
Pages 191-215
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- Joseph P. Cotropia, Kenneth E. Ugen
Pages 217-238
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- Sagar Kudchodkar, T. Nagashunmugam, Velpandi Ayyavoo
Pages 239-267
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- Benjamin J. Doranz, Robert W. Doms
Pages 269-285
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- Maureen M. Goodenow, Elena E. Perez, John W. Sleasman
Pages 287-305
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- Ralph Dornburg, Roger Pomerantz
Pages 307-323
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- Robert P. Nelson Jr., Patricia J. Emmanuel, Maite De La Morena
Pages 325-356
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Back Matter
Pages 357-368
About this book
The discovery of the human T cell leukemia virus type I in the late 1970s heralded a new era in retrovirology. For the first time, it was demonstrated that a retrovirus could play a role in the development of a human disease, in this case adult T cell leukemia (ATL). Several years later, the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic began, and it was dem- strated that a retrovirus, originally designated the human T cell lymp- tropic virus type 3, was the causal agent of this syndrome. This virus, later named the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), has since been extensively studied in terms of its pathogenesis as well as its ability to elicit immune responses. In that time, a tremendous amount of information has been obtained about the virus. Although recent drug regimens have been useful in significantly lowering viral loads and perhaps maintaining an asymptomatic state among individuals infected with HIV-1, an established “cure” for AIDS eludes us. In addition, the effective drug therapies are very expensive, and are not available to infected people in the third world, where greater than 90% of new infections occur. Furthermore, the development of viral resistance against the drug therapies is an additional concern. Despite extensive study, no effective vaccine has been developed. One of the problems in developing an effective vaccine against HIV-1 is the ability of the virus, particularly in the immunogenic envelop glycoprotein, to undergo amino acid hypervariability.
