It would have been difficult at the beginning of the 80's to have
predicted that by the end of the decade, Medical Virology would have
become one of the most important topics in the area of both basic and
clinical research. Although we were expecting a progressive increase in
awareness of the role played by viruses in different diseases, we did
not expect the outbreak of a fatal disease that was going to shake the
roots of our society. The appearance of the human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV-1) in the early 80's, has prompted a unique re- search impetus in
the area of Medical Virology. The knowledge that we are gaining in our
attempt to understand the biology of HIV-1 and the immuno- logical
response to this virus should not only help us control the spread of
this virus, but should also help us to better understand other viral
infections. Let us hope that during the 1990's we can learn how to
control HIV-1 infections so that by the end of the decade, no more human
lives succumb to an infection with this virus. Luis M. de la Maza
Irvine, California Ellena M. Peterson March, 1990 v ACKNO EDGEMENTS We
would like to thank all the speakers that came to San Francisco and
shared their knowledge during the lectures and for writing the chapters
in this book.