Microbes have evolved in an impressive and diverse range of strategies to subvert the host immune system. Two major types of strategies exist. The first is the evasion of recognition by the host, for example by using antigenic variation, masking of epitopes, the use of decoys, molecular mimicry, etc. The second is the modulation and/or suppression of the innate (e.g. complement, NK cells) and adaptive (e.g. antibodies) immune responses. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved is critical for the rational design of novel therapeutic agents and vaccines to treat and/or...

The second volume of Arenaviruses deals with the biology and the pathogenesis of arenaviruses primarily through the study of LCMV. The fundamental observation of MHC restriction and CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocyte killing derived initially from studies with LCMV in the mouse, and has been expanded to studies of most human pathogens, viral, bacterial, parasitic, as well as events in cancer. The scope and importance of this observation was recognized by awarding the Nobel Prize in 1996 to Rolf Zinkernagel and Peter Doherty, long-time workers in the field of LCMV and arenavirus biology. Since then,...

Since the subject of arenaviruses was visited by Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology 14 years ago, enormous advances have been made in this area. The receptor for several arenaviruses, alpha-dystroglycan, was identified, the replication strategy of these viruses was decoded, and application of a reverse genetics system for studying viral gene function and viral biology is well underway.
In addition to reviewing these advances, Volume I includes discussion of arenaviral molecular phylogeny, reservoirs in rodents and clinical diseases caused by both new world and...