The world is on the threshold of a great new industrial revolution, a 1 scientific-industrial revolution. Recombinant DNA technology and hybridoma technology ("monoclonal antibodies") have already pro- vided unique investment opportunities for venture capitalists. Hence published reports of biomedical research are no longer restricted to scientific journals, but now appear regularly not only in weekly news- 2 magazines like Time and U. S. News & World Report,3 but also in the financial sections of The New York Times,4 The Wall Street Journal, S 6 8 Business Week, Fortune,7 and The Economist,...

On May 14-16, 1982, a group of scientists met in Viareggio, Italy to present ideas, and exchange relevant data on current approaches on immunomodulators. We felt that the embodiment of the substance of that international symposium into this volume will be beneficial in keeping both clinicians and basic scientists abreast of the latest exciting developments in this rapidly accelerating field. We hope that the publication of this series of papers by an international panel of experts will enhance the nature of future inves t igat ive stud ies with such ent it ies . Under the rubric of...