Interest in the lentivirus subfamily of retroviruses has greatly intensified due to the realization that HIV-1 and HIV-2 are members of this previously obscure group. Related lentiviruses have now been isolated from sheep, goats, horses, cattle, cats, monkeys, and humans. This issue of CTMI is devoted to the lentiviruses of nonhuman primates, referred to as simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs). The SIVs provide valuable tools for our quest to understand and control the HIVs, which are obviously important new human pathogens. Included in this volume are discussions of the distribution and molecular phylogeny of the SIVs and their use as animal models for the study of AIDS pathogenesis, and the chapters clearly illustrate how SIV models are contributing to our understanding of the ability of host immune responses to control infection at least temporarily and the ability of virus to evade these host immune defenses.

Survey of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Among Nonhuman Primate Populations

Simian Immunodeficiency Viruses of African Green Monkeys
Pathology of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Induced Disease
SIVsmmPBj14: An Atypical Lentivirus
Conserved Framework of Envelope Glycoproteins Among Lentiviruses
Mucosal Transmission of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus
Comparisons of Regulatory Features Among Primate Lentiviruses
MHC of Nonhuman Primates
CD4+ T Cell Responses to Simian Immunodeficiency Virus
The SIVmac Specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Response in the Acutely Infected Rhesus Monkey
Envelope Sequence Variation, Neutralizing Antibodies, and Primate Lentivirus Persistence
Towards a Vaccine Against AIDS: Lessons from Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Vaccines.