Retrovirus-Cell Interactions provides an up-to-date review of the interactions between retroviruses and the cells they infect, offering a comprehensive understanding of how retroviruses hijack cellular factors to facilitate virus replication. Drugs targeting viral enzymes have been developed to treat HIV; the next challenge is to inhibit virus-cell interactions as next generation treatment strategies. Organized according to the retrovirus' replication cycle, this book does not focus exclusively on HIV, but rather includes important findings in other retroviral systems, including animal retroviruses, retrotransposons, and endogenous retroelements to allow broad comparisons on important commonalities and differences. Provides a valuable starting point for people who want to develop a detailed understanding of retroviral replication Includes future-thinking strategies, such as next-generation treatment and anti-retroviral therapeutics Features important commonalities and differences among retroviral systems

The articles in this volume provide a comprehensive overview of our current understanding of the roles played by cellular factors in the early steps of retroviral replication. A better understanding of these functions will provide critical new insights into retrovirus-host cell interactions and is likely to prove useful for the future development of effective antiretroviral therapies.

For over 25 years the study of retroviruses has underpinned much of what is known about information transfer in cells and the genetic and biochemical mechanisms that underlie cell growth and cancer induction. Emergent diseases such as AIDS and adult T-cell lymphoma have widened even further the community of investigators directly concerned with retroviruses, a development that has highlighted the need for an integrated understanding of their biology and their unique association with host genomes. This remarkable volume satisfies that need. Written by a group of the field's most distinguished investigators, rigorously edited to provide a seamless narrative, and elegantly designed for clarity and readability, this book is an instant classic that demands attention from scientists and physicians studying retroviruses and the disorders in which they play a role.

The first book to specifically cover the molecular biology of retroviruses - of immense importance since the high profile of HIV. International contributors provide detailed reviews of the latest knowledge. An excellent text for both medical and non-medical researchers, it also serves as an illuminating introduction for scientists active in other areas.

Retroviruses arguably belong to the most fascinating of all viruses because of their unusual and highly efficient mode of replication involving reverse transcription and integration of the viral genome and a complex system of transcriptional and post transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. The importance of ret roviruses as human and animal pathogens has also enhanced scientific and medical interest in this diverse group of viruses and has spurred an intensive search for novel and improved antiviral agents. More recently, analysis of retroviral replication and in particular understanding the formation and composition of the virus particle has received additional attention because of the promise of retroviral vectors as vehicles for human somatic gene therapy. Many recent advances have been made in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing as sembly and release of infectious retrovirus particles. This book attempts to summarize these recent developments and to provide an overview of our current knowledge on retrovirus particle formation. The individual chapters of the book deal with specific steps in the pathway of retroviral morphogenesis and maturation, starting at the time when the components of the virus have been synthesized within the infected cell and ending once the infectious virion has been released from the cell. An introductory chapter provides a comparative description of the structure and morphology of various retroviruses.

All but one* of the following articles represent comprehensive reports on a workshop held between 7 and 9 May 1981 at the Institute of Virology and Immunobiology, University of Wfuzburg, Federal Republic of Germany. The title of the workshop was "The Involvement of Endogenous Retroviruses inN ormalFunction and Pathological Growth of Lymphocytes." Rather than collecting and printing manuscripts of the individual communications, the organizers asked selected parti cipants to write, after the workshop, concise articles each compris ing several contributions and discussions on major topics. In so doing, we hope to present to a larger audience a synopsis of the various information and views exchanged at the meeting. Such a procedure seemed the more appropriate as the workshop was intended to bring together specialists from two rather diverse fields: RNA-tumor virology and immunobiology. While this created some initial problems of terminology, it was quite effective in making representatives of one field more aware of the significance and the contributions ofthe other. It also great ly contributed to realization of the complexity of the problems involved in virus-induced leukemogenesis.

Retroviruses and herpesviruses are two important human pathogens. Together, they occupy one of the most important places in modern Medical Virology. Coinfections of these two viruses in the same individuals are frequently observed, especially in patients afflicted with AIDS. Potential consequences of such interactions include the exacerbation of the disease, changing of the disease courses and the release of new viruses, etc. An understanding of the underlying mechanism is important, but, thus far, few insights have been gained. The present monograph, arranged in eight chapters, is intended to provide an updated and concise review of recent works regarding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of such interactions. The topics covered range from transcriptional regulation, receptor modulation, genetic recombination, to AIDS and oncogenesis. Human immunodeficiency virus, avian leukosis virus, reticuloendotheliosis virus, herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, herpesvirus-6 and Marek's disease virus are among the viruses discussed. The contributing authors are among the leaders in this field and are responsible for many of the original discoveries presented. This should serve as a valuable research and teaching reference for both beginning and advanced researchers in virology and oncology.