This volume provides a collection of contemporary perspectives on using activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) for biological discoveries in protein science, microbiology, and immunology. A common theme throughout is the special utility of ABPP to interrogate protein function and small-molecule interactions on a global scale in native biological systems. Each chapter showcases distinct advantages of ABPP applied to diverse protein classes and biological systems. As such, the book offers readers valuable insights into the basic principles of ABPP technology and how to apply this approach to biological questions ranging from the study of post-translational modifications to targeting bacterial effectors in host-pathogen interactions.

This book helps scientists, clinicians and other interested individuals understand recent clinical advances and challenges for the future. It covers many basic aspects of the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C, HCV infections in particular populations, approaches to therapy, and prevention and control of HCV Infection. The book provides a succinct review of the large amount of data generated by multiple groups over the past two decades that has revealed the natural history of HCV infection. Similarly, it summarizes current understanding of the origins of HCV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma, cirrhosis and hepatic fibrosis. Extra-hepatic manifestation and metabolic disorders related to HCV infection are described. In this volume, these clinically important aspects of HCV infection are comprehensively described. Highlights are description of newly developed direct- acting antivirals. The authors represent a worldwide distribution of leaders in the field reflecting the global nature of HCV infection. Based on recent data concerning the genetic- and geographical diversity of HCV, and increased global disease burden of HCV infection, challenges for global control of HCV infections are described.

Systems biology is the study of the dynamic interactions of more than one component in a biological system in order to understand and predict the behavior of the system as a whole. Systems biology is a rapidly expanding discipline fuelled by the 'omics' era and new technological advances that have increased the precision of data. A focus on simple single cell organisms, such as bacteria, aids tractability and means that systems microbiology is a rapidly maturing science. Recommended for all microbiology laboratories, this book contains cutting-edge reviews by world-leading experts on the systems biology of microorganisms. As well as covering theoretical approaches and mathematical modeling, the book includes case studies on single microbial species of bacteria and archaea, and it explores the systems analysis of microbial phenomena, such as chemotaxis and phagocytosis. The topics covered include: the mathematical models for systems biology * systems biology of Escherichia coli metabolism * bacterial chemotaxis * systems biology of infection * host-microbe interactions * phagocytosis * system-level study of metabolism in Mycobacterium tuberculosis * systems biology of Sulfolobus.

Biofilms are a common problem in the medical and dental industries. The increased use of implants such as catheters, prostheses and pacemakers in medical practice leads to complications resulting from biofilm formation. Infections associated with implants and chronic infections of tissues are often difficult to treat with traditional antibiotic therapy and frequently become persistent.

Medical Biofilms provides a comprehensive guide describing the problems that biofilms create. It includes examples, the techniques used to detect biofilms, and how infections involving biofilms are presently controlled and eliminated.

Written by international experts in the field, this book will be essential reading for people in the medical device, pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, professionals and students in medicine and dentistry, medical microbiologists and biomaterial scientists.

This volume offers an overview of the various aspects involved in the ability of fungi to damage host cells, and discusses cutting-edge approaches to the study of fungal pathogenesis. The first chapter illustrate the key roles of glycans and pigments, the most abundant surface components in fungal cells, in their interactions with host cells. The connections between cellular physiology and fungal pathogenesis are then discussed in the following chapters. Physiology-related processes affecting pathogenesis include fungal secretion, morphological transitions, and response to light. In turn, the book illustrates mechanisms of damage to host cells using the Histoplasma capsulatum model of infection, and reviews the use of transcriptomic approaches to understand the mechanisms of interaction between fungal cells and host tissues. After a discussion of the immunological mechanisms underlying host susceptibility to fungal infections, the book's closing contribution reviews the mechanisms of interaction between fungi and other microbes, and the impact of this association on fungal pathogenesis. Given its scope, the book will appeal to scientists in the fields of mycology, microbiology, infectious diseases, biology and medicine.

Papillomaviruses are oncogenic DNA tumor viruses that infect humans and animals. Human papillomavirus is one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted infection in the world and can also cause cancer. Papillomavirus research has been revolutionized in recent years with the advent of new technologies such as organotypic raft cultures, virus-like particles, and transgenic mice. New facets of virion structure, life cycle, immunology, and oncogenicity have recently emerged. In this timely book, leading scientists review current aspect of papillomavirus research providing a fascinating insight into papillomavirus molecular biology, interactions with the host, immunology, and vaccine development. Topics covered include epidemiology and taxonomy, phylogenetic analysis, gene expression, regulation of DNA replication, transcription factor proteins, organotypic raft cultures, virus-like particles, and much more. Essential reading for scientists and researchers working on papillomavirus a

There has been emergence of multidrug resistance problem all over the world due to overuse or underuse of antibiotics. Most microbes including bacteria, fungi, protozoans and others have developed resistance to antibiotics, and therefore, this problem is now recognized to be of global concern. Ubiquitous occurrence of multidrug-resistant bacteria decreases effectiveness of current treatment, which results in thousands of deaths all over the world. Hence, investigations for new alternatives and novel strategies are urgently needed to address the problem of multidrug resistance. The antimicrobial potential of essential oils and metallic nanoparticles represent an effective solution for microbial resistance. Moreover, the use of essential oils in combination with metallic nanoparticles may exert synergistic antimicrobial effects and would be a novel approach. Essential oils (EOs) are volatile, natural, aromatic oily liquids that can be obtained from several parts of plants especially the aerial ones such as leaves and flowers. They are derived from complex metabolic pathways in order to protect plants from diverse pathogenic microorganisms. In fact, the bioactivity of EOs have been confirmed by several studies which have demonstrated their antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic, and antioxidant properties. Nanotechnology is one of the most important and emerging technologies, which has brought about a technological revolution in the world. It has enormous applications in the field of medicine. Nanoparticles are very important tools in curing different diseases in general and microbial diseases in particular due to their significantly novel and improved chemical, physical and biological properties and high surface area-to-volume ratio. Among these, metal nanoparticles are known to play pivotal role in various biomedical applications. In this context, nanoparticles such as silver have shown their potential and could emerge as the new generation of antimicrobials. Silver nanoparticles have broad-spectrum biological activities and hence are used in many biomedical applications. The various biomedical applications of silver nanoparticles include treatment of wounds, burns, in water-disinfecting systems, in nanobased bone implantations, in dentistry for the development of dental materials and as antibacterial, antivirals, anti-protozoals, anti-arthropods and anticancerous agents. Apart from silver, noble metal nanoparticles like gold and platinum and other nanoparticles copper, oxides of different metals, etc. have been also the materials of choice for many scientists for their biological applications. The book will be of interest to chemists, microbiologists, biotechnologist, food technologists, nanotechnologists, pharmacologists, clinicians and those interested in nature cure. Students will find this book useful and reader friendly.

This book focuses on immune reactions and interactions of humans with Helicobacter pylori - a human pathogen connected to gastritis, peptic ulcers and even gastric cancer. With nearly half of the world's population colonized, it has been characterized as one of the most successful pathogens for more than 100,000 years of co-evolution with its host. The respective chapters discuss not only how H. pylori infection is considered a paradigm for persistent bacterial infection and chronic inflammation, but also how the infection might be connected to host protection against gastro-esophageal diseases, asthma, and other allergic disease manifestations. Readers will gain essential insights into the roles of specific factors in the immune response and learn about the impact of genetic polymorphisms on the risk of gastric carcinogenesis. In addition, the book discusses the strategies used by this bacterium, which allow it to colonize specific sites in the stomach, interact with the microbiome, evade immune surveillance and undermine the resolution of inflammation during persistent infection. This volume presents a concise summary of recent advances in the areas of induction, resolution and escape of inflammation, innate and adaptive immunity, gastric disease development, as well as treatment and vaccination against H. pylori. Accordingly, it offers a valuable asset for scientists and clinicians alike.

This book gives a detailed yet clear insight into the current state of the art of the therapeutic application of bacteriophages in different conditions. The authors bring in their practical expertise within their respective fields of expertise and provide an excellent overview of the potential and actual use of phage therapy. Topics like economic feasibility compared to traditional antibiotics and also regulatory issues are discussed in far detail. This new volume is therefore a valuable resource for individuals engaged in the medical application of novel phage therapies.

Fish lymphocystis disease virus (FLDV) has been tentatively classified as a separate genus of the iridovirus family. Iridoviruses were previously called icosahedral cytoplasmic deoxyriboviruses (ICDV). The Iridoviridae family contains four genera including lymphocystis disease virus (proposed name Lymphocystivirus, Willis, 1989 (1". FLDV is a causative agent of lymphocystis disease (LD) which frequently appears in Pleuronectidae (flatfish) such as Pleuronectes platessa (plaice), Platichtys flesus (flounder), Limanda limanda (dab), and Trigla gurnardus (gurnard). Fish lymphocystis disease is characterized by papilloma-like lesions, which can be induced experimentally in Lepomis macrochirus (bluegill) (2) and by subdermal injection of plaice and flounder (3). The mechanisms of this nonmalignant tumor induction are unknown. Since the discovery of LD in 1874 by Lowe (4), attempts have been made to isolate and propagate FLDV in vitro with limited success (5-7). As a first step towards understanding of the underlying mechanisms of this infectious disease the structure and properties of the causal virus must be eluciated. These basical molecular biological studies provide new facilities for investigation of virus host interactions which is necessary for understanding the molecular mechanisms of the viral pathogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 30 fish with LD lesions caught near the Doggerbank areas were analyzed individually, including 20 flounders, six dabs, and four plaice. Virions of FLDV from LD lesions of each species of fish were isolated, purified, and examined by electron microscopy as 205 described previously (8). Fig.

"Human Retroviruses: Methods and Protocols" collects key experimental protocols that have provided the basis of the major discoveries of the field. Split into five sections, this detailed volume covers mapping of the HIV life cycle, isolation, co-receptor use, and cell tropism of HIV-1, in vivo quantification of HIV-1, biological aspects of HIV-1, as well as HTLVs. Some articles explore assay and function of accessory genes, largely involving the interface between retroviral and host factors, the extracellular role of Tat and Tax, resembling the function of cytokines, and the biotechnological exploitation of HIV as lentiviral vector to carry foreign genes with therapeutic value. Written in the highly successful "Methods in Molecular Biology" series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Comprehensive and authoritative, "Human Retroviruses: Methods and Protocols" provides state-of-art methodological protocols from world leaders in human retrovirology, essential for any lab working this vital field."

When Peter Piot was in medical school, a professor warned, "There's no future in infectious diseases. They've all been solved." Fortunately, Piot ignored him, and the result has been an exceptional, adventure-filled career. In the 1970s, as a young man, Piot was sent to Central Africa as part of a team tasked with identifying a grisly new virus. Crossing into the quarantine zone on the most dangerous missions, he studied local customs to determine how this disease-the Ebola virus-was spreading. Later, Piot found himself in the field again when another mysterious epidemic broke out: AIDS. He traveled throughout Africa, leading the first international AIDS initiatives there. Then, as founder and director of UNAIDS, he negotiated policies with leaders from Fidel Castro to Thabo Mbeki and helped turn the tide of the epidemic. Candid and engrossing, No Time to Lose captures the urgency and excitement of being on the front lines in the fight against today's deadliest diseases.

Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Control Edited by Norman Noah King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK, and Mary O'Mahony Public Health Laboratory Service, London, UK With the growing interest in communicable diseases and their control worldwide, largely due to new and re-emerging infections, there is a need for up-to-date information in this continually changing field. Timely and wide ranging, Communicable Disease: Epidemiology and Control addresses many of the contemporary issues and provides:
* Detailed and concise examination of management issues, such as commissioning and contracting, setting up an incident room, and legal aspects
* A practical approach
* An examination of a wide spectrum of issues in communicable diseases, including cholera, tuberculosis, Helicobacter pylori, and sexually transmitted diseases
This volume is an invaluable resource for microbiologists, epidemiologists and all professionals involved in public health.

As stated many times before the purpose of Orchid Biology, Reviews and Perspectives (OB) is to present reviews on all aspects of orchids. The aim is not to balance every volume, but to make a balanced and wide ranging presentation of orchids in the series as a whole. The chapters in this, the last volume of the series, range over a number of topics which were not covered before. Singapore is justly famed for its orchids. They can be seen on arrival (or dep- ture) in its modern, highly efficient and comfortable Changi Airport and on the way from it to town. Vanda Miss Joaquim, the first hybrid to come from Singapore became its National Flower. This natural hybrid can be seen on its currency, stamps, and public and private decorations. Many excellent breeders, starting with Prof. Eric Holttum who bred the first man made hybrid (Spathoglottis Primrose), produced numerous magnificent hybrids and won countless awards in Singapore and elsewhere. These hybrids served to enrich the country's orchid mystique. In the opening chapter of this volume Dr. Teoh Eng Soon (Western style: Eng Soon Teoh), himself a prize winning orchid breeder, grower and author writes about some of the breeders who contributed to the Singapore orchid fame. Prof. Hans Fitting was one of the best known plant physiologists of his time. As a young man he studied the effects of pollen on orchid flowers.

The emergence of bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics has become a serious threat to public health and is considered one of the greatest challenges for contemporary medicine. Phage therapy - the use of bacteriophages as anti-bacterial agents - may offer an alternative treatment for bacterial infections. Phages have many potential applications in human medicine, as well as in dentistry, veterinary science, agriculture, and food protection. Written by internationally recognized experts from leading centers involved in phage research and phage therapy, this book provides comprehensive coverage of the topic with a focus on current research and emerging applications. The book opens with chapters covering the general characteristics of bacteriophages and the basic concepts of phage therapy. Further topics include: the pharmacology of phage therapy * bacterial resistance * non-bactericidal effects of phages * main applications of bacteriophages in clinical medicine * plant pathosystems * animal production * food protection * biofilm control * regulatory and intellectual property aspects of phage therapy. Although the book focuses on applications of virulent bacteriophages, it also discusses genetically-engineered phages, phages as delivery vehicles for other antimicrobials, as well as phage lysins. It will be an essential reference for anyone interested in phage therapy, antibacterial resistance, antimicrobial development, bacteriophage research, biocontrol, and biodetection.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health threat that needs immediate attention and action from the scientific community. This book compiles and presents the latest and most important aspects of AMR, including the biology involved, its persistence and spread, and novel approaches to tackle this threat. The book first describes the mechanisms and spread of AMR, and then discusses the various approaches and strategies for combating it. Important topics include, microbial pathogenesis, AMR traits and major mechanisms underlying drug-resistance and the emerging strategies and technologies for combating AMR. Emphasis has been given on current developments about natural products including potent phyto-molecules, antimicrobial peptides and endophytes effective against the drug-resistant microbes and target the main drug-resistance determinants (efflux pumps, biofilms, quorum sensing, plasmids, etc.) in these bacterial pathogens. Other exciting topics include applications of nanomaterials in tackling AMR and CRISPR-Cas based precise sequence-specific antimicrobials. This informative book is meant for students and researchers in basic and medical microbiology and biotechnology. It is also useful to public health professionals and industry experts involved in AMR research and related drug-designing.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), the sixth most prevalent cancer worldwide, remains a very difficult disease to treat and cure despite intensive investigation into molecular etiologies and tumor progression pathways. Due to public health efforts encouraging smoking cessation, the overall incidence of HNSCC has decreased in recent years in many countries. In contrast, the incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has increased significantly, and this subtype of HNSCC is commonly associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Moreover, individuals with HPV-positive OPSCC are generally younger and are frequently non-smokers, suggesting that HPV-associated OPSCC represents a distinct biologic entity. This volume summarizes the spectrum of current HPV-associated OPSCC research from the fundamental basic science to translational surgery and treatment approaches. Chapters are contributed by authoritative leaders in the fields of research and clinical care. Initial chapters address epidemiology, behavioral correlates of HPV infection, and racial disparities in oropharyngeal cancer. This is followed by chapters detailing HPV virology with focus on viral transformation, viral replication, and host response to viral infection. The molecular biology of HPV-associated OPSCC is investigated in chapters detailing alterations in signaling networks and unique mutational profiles of human tumors. Clinical presentation, surgical perspectives, and treatment paradigms specific to HPV-associated OPSCC conclude the volume. This comprehensive volume provides an up-to-date overview of both scientific discovery and clinical management of this emerging public health problem.

Based on the proceedings of the third international symposium on "Molecular Immunology of Complex Carbohydrates," this text is the latest in a series dedicated to glycotopes, structures and functions of complex carbohydrates, recognition factors of lectins, biomolecular interactions and other glycosciences. Section I of the book pays tribute to three pioneers in the field--Walter T.J. Morgan, Elvin A. Kabat and especially Winifred M. Watkins; it presents advanced concepts concerning the structure and functions of Blood group ABH/Le-related antigens, offering a comprehensive review on human blood group ABH/Ii, Lea, b, x, y and siayl Lea, x glycotopes of human ovarian cyst glycoproteins. Section II covers the interactions of plant, bacterial and animal lectins with carbohydrates and proteins. Section III describes the structures and functions of gangliosides and microbial glycolipids. Section IV covers the physiological roles of other clycocunjugates in humans, animals, sponges and bacteria as well as aging-related alterations of glycosylation profile in humans. Section V discusses the role of carbohydrates as antigens and regulators of the immune response. Section VI addresses some aspects of the glycobiology of cancer. And section VII details new methodologies in glycol-synthesis and lectin-carbohydrate binding assays and strategies for treatment as crucial applications.

The nucleotide sequence of the gene from which messenger RNA mole cules are transcribed is in a form that can be translated by cellular ribosomes into the amino acid sequence of a particular polypeptide, the product of the gene. The discovery of messenger RNA more than twenty years ago led to a series of studies on its organization and function in cells in the presence of infecting viruses. This volume is devoted to current studies in the field of cellular and viral messenger RNA. The studies presented provide an insight into molecular and genetic aspects of messenger RNA. Special attention was paid by the authors to the molecular organization of mRNA species, to the processing of mRNA molecules, and to the different strategies employed by DNA and RNA viruses in the synthesis of their mRNA. The ability of a virus to take over the protein-synthesizing mechanisms of an infected cell depends on its ability to produce mRNA molecules which can affect the host mRNA or utilize cellular components more efficiently. The differences between, and similarities of, the strategies of mRNA synthesis devised by various DNA and RNA viruses are described herein. This book should be of interest to all students of cellular and viral genes and scientists in the field. It is suitable as a textbook for workshops and courses on mRNA. I wish to thank the authors for their fine contributions and for their interest."

The HIV pandemic continues to levy a heavy burden on the human race world-wide. The estimated number of people who became newly infected with HIV in 2009 was 2.6 million; most of these individuals live in Sub-Saharan Africa, followed by India and Southeast Asia. An estimated 370,000 new cases of pediatric infections occurred globally in 2009 (or more than 1,000 new infections every day), practically all of them through mother-to-child transmission. Up to 40% of all new infant HIV infections occur during breastfeeding. While breastfeeding by HIV-infected mothers is not recommended in the U.S. and other resource-rich settings where safe replacement feeding is easily available, the situation is different in many resource-limited settings, where replacement feeding is not safe or available and carries a high risk of infections (diarrhea, pneumonia) and infant malnutrition. Mothers in such settings are faced with a difficult dilemma: to breastfeed their infants in order to provide their infants with its many benefits (nutritional, immunologic, cognitive), but to also risk transmitting HIV. These challenges have prompted an intensive search for new prophylactic and therapeutic strategies in order to prevent infants from acquiring HIV infection through breastfeeding. In this book, expert HIV researchers critically review every aspect of this highly evolving and topical subject. The opening chapters deal with the epidemiology, global magnitude and biologic mechanisms of HIV-1 transmission from mother to child through breastfeeding and include considerations of the virus (quantity, compartments, characteristics) and the host (genetic, immunity-innate, cellular, humoral). The effects of breastfeeding on the HIV-infected mother's health and nutritional status, and the social and cultural issues associated with the practice of breastfeeding are also discussed. The next few chapters provide cutting-edge reviews of the latest approaches to prevention of HIV transmission to the infant through breastfeeding, including antiretroviral strategies, nutritional and immune-based approaches, and treatment of expressed breast milk. The remaining chapters provide a fascinating review of the many iterations this subject has received, as reflected in the several different sets of guidelines for infant feeding by HIV-infected mothers issued by the World Health Organization, and a debate by leading scientists on whether HIV-infected mothers should breastfeed their infants-in resource-limited and in resource-rich settings. A comprehensive overview of the current state of implementing the new evidence for prevention of breastfeeding transmission of HIV all over the world is also presented. Essential reading for the many disciplines of scientists and clinicians working on HIV/AIDS and other retroviruses, pediatricians, obstetricians/gynecologists, as well as all health-care professionals interested in expanding their understanding on the subject.

This book documents and presents new developments in the study of amebiasis, one of the neglected tropical diseases. Nearly 50 million people worldwide are infected with the pathogen Entamoeba histolytica, causing large-scale morbidity and mortality particularly in developing countries. This book will help clinicians for better diagnosis and management of the disease, researchers for initiating research projects on some of the poorly understood aspects of the disease and the pathogen, and students for updating their knowledge. The subjects covered range from genomics and molecular and cell biology to drug resistance and new drug development, highlighting major advances in recent years in our understanding due to rapid progress in genomic and other biomedical technologies, such as visualization of molecular processes. Most of the chapters provide recent information based on latest publications. A few chapters describe some of the critical methodological issues that will be helpful for students and researchers interested in getting into the field. The contributing authors include almost all the active researchers and clinicians from around the world. This book will be a useful primary material and a valuable source of information for anyone interested in understanding amebiasis, its diagnosis, and treatment. It will also be useful to those who are interested in learning about the biology of early branching eukaryotes and protist pathogens.

Type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are highly versatile membrane-associated transporter machines used by Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria to deliver substrate molecules to a large variety of target cells. This volume summarizes our current knowledge of the large variety and structural diversity of T4SSs in pathogenic Escherichia, Agrobacterium, Legionella, Coxiella, Bartonella, Helicobacter, Enterococcus and other species. Divided into 13 chapters contributed by leading experts, it presents findings that significantly enhance our understanding of how various pathogens manipulate host cell functions to trigger bacterial uptake, promote intracellular growth, suppress defense mechanisms and of how bacteria spread antibiotic resistances, thus facilitating bacterial colonization and disease development. The book is an invaluable source of information for researchers and clinicians.

Waterborne Pathogens: Detection Methods and Applications, Second Edition, gives an overview of advanced and emerging technologies in the detection of a range of waterborne pathogens. In addition, the book presents existing methodologies, highlights where improvements can be made, includes applications, and touches on the ways in which new technologies can be applied in water management. Finally, the book addresses issues of sample preparation (from sampling, to concentration and enrichment), a key stage in any detection protocol.

Autophagy is a fundamental biological process that enables cells to autodigest their own cytosol during starvation and other forms of stress. It has a growing spectrum of acknowledged roles in immunity, aging, development, neurodegeneration, and cancer biology. An immunological role of autophagy was first recognized with the discovery of autophagy's ability to sanitize the cellular interior by killing intracellular microbes. Since then, the repertoire of autophagy's roles in immunity has been vastly expanded to include a diverse but interconnected portfolio of regulatory and effector functions. Autophagy is an effector of Th1/Th2 polarization; it fuels MHC II presentation of cytosolic (self and microbial) antigens; it shapes central tolerance; it affects B and T cell homeostasis; it acts both as an effector and a regulator of Toll-like receptor and other innate immunity receptor signaling; and it may help ward off chronic inflammatory disease in humans. With such a multitude of innate and adaptive immunity functions, the study of autophagy in immunity is one of the most rapidly growing fields of contemporary immunological research. This book introduces the reader to the fundamentals of autophagy, guides a novice and the well-informed reader alike through different immunological aspects of autophagy as well as the countermeasures used by highly adapted pathogens to fight autophagy, and provides the expert with the latest, up-to-date information on the specifics of the leading edge of autophagy research in infection and immunity.

The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIVs), in particular HIV-1, are the causative agent responsible for the current worldwide epidemic of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). A major effort has thus been underway over the past two decades to understand and control this pathogen. During this time, an enormous knowledge base has accumulated regarding the role of viral factors in the HIV-1 life cycle, and the interaction of HIV-1 with the host cell is becoming increasingly understood. Certain features of HIV, for example its ability to infect non-dividing cells, are being exploited in the development of novel gene therapy vehicles. This volume provides an overview of the current information regarding the HIV replication cycle and will serve as an introduction to subsequent chapters that address specific aspects of lentiviral-based gene therapy.