Publisher's Synopsis
Considerable research effort has been devoted to the prevention and therapy of AIDS using approaches which have been successful against infection with other viral or microbial agents, ie, active and passive immunization. This effort is impeded by the high variability of the HIV envelope glycoproteins, the major target for immunotherapy.;This problem is analyzed in detail in this review. The immunodominant epitopes recognized by antibodies, contributing to protective immunity against HIV-1, are discussed. Epitopes recognized by helper and cytotoxic T cells, instrumental in eliciting antibody responses and cytotoxic responses against infected cells, respectively, are also described.;The preparation of human monoclonal antibodies by conventional techniques and the application of recombinant DNA methods for this purpose are described in several chapters. The design of preventive and therapeutic measures against AIDS is hampered by the lack of appropriate animal model systems. Some macaque systems are susceptible to infection with HIV-2 and SIV, and develop disease after infection. The third and fourth chapters focus on these two viruses and their relevance as model systems for human AIDS.
