No other area of biology has grown as fast and become as relevant over the last decade as virology. It is with no little amount of amaze ment, that the more we learn about fundamental biological questions and mechanisms of diseases, the more obvious it becomes that viruses perme ate all facets of our lives. While on one hand viruses are known to cause acute and chronic, mild and fatal, focal and generalized diseases, on the other hand, they are used as tools for gaining an understanding of the structure and function of higher organisms, and as vehicles for carrying protective or curative therapies. The wide scope of approaches to different biological and medical virological questions was well rep resented by the speakers that participated in this year's Symposium. While the epidemic by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 continues to spread without hope for much relief in sight, intriguing questions and answers in the area of diagnostics, clinical manifestations and therapeutical approaches to viral infections are unveiled daily. Let us hope, that with the increasing awareness by our society of the role played by viruses, not only as causative agents of diseases, but also as models for better understanding basic biological principles, more efforts and resources are placed into their study. Luis M. de la Maza Irvine, California Ellena M."

Changing Trends of Diagnostic Virology in a Tertiary Care Medical Center.- Evaluation of Electron Microscopic Information Available from Clinical Samples.- Detection of Viral Sequences in Formalin Fixed, Paraffin Embedded Tissues from HIV-1 Infected Patients Using the PCR.- Detection of Viral Nucleic Acids by Q? Replicase Amplification.- Determinants of Measles Mortality: Host or Transmission Factors?.- The International Epidemiology of HIV-1 Infections.- Human Herpesvirus 6: An Update.- Papillomaviruses and Human Cancer.- Detection and Elimination of Blood-Borne Viruses Transmitted by Transfusion.- Programmed Antigenic Stimulation - A New Approach to Influenza Vaccination.- Lessons from Varicella Vaccine.- Antisense Oligonucleotides as Anti-Viral Agents: New Drugs for a New Age.- Abstracts.- Contributors.- Author Index.

No other area of biology has grown as fast and become as relevant over the last decade as virology. It is with no little amount of amaze ment, that the more we learn about fundamental biological questions and mechanisms of diseases, the more obvious it becomes that viruses perme ate all facets of our lives. While on one hand viruses are known to cause acute and chronic, mild and fatal, focal and generalized diseases, on the other hand, they are used as tools for gaining an understanding of the structure and function of higher organisms, and as vehicles for carrying protective or curative therapies. The wide scope of approaches to different biological and medical virological questions was well rep resented by the speakers that participated in this year's Symposium. While the epidemic by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 continues to spread without hope for much relief in sight, intriguing questions and answers in the area of diagnostics, clinical manifestations and therapeutical approaches to viral infections are unveiled daily. Let us hope, that with the increasing awareness by our society of the role played by viruses, not only as causative agents of diseases, but also as models for better understanding basic biological principles, more efforts and resources are placed into their study. Luis M. de la Maza Irvine, California Ellena M."

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."