Although virology and immunology are now considered separate disciplines history shows that
these areas ofinvestigation always overlapped and one cannot really exist without the other.
This trend has become particularly significant and fruitful in the past few years in the area
of herpesvirus research. The genomes of the most important herpesviruses have been sequenced a
significant portion of their genes have been identified and many secrets of regulation of gene
expr- sion have been unraveled. Now this progress sets the stage for a true revolution in
herpesvirus research: analysis of interactions between the host and the virus. Because
herpesviruses can induce suppress and fool the immune system the most productive
herpesvirologists are also expert immunologists and the current results ofthis
interdisciplinary effort are truly remarkable. Because herpesviruses cause many important human
diseases the devel- ment of vaccines against these agents is a very significant goal. This
effort is also very challenging because of the complexity of herpesviruses and the lack of
sufficient information about immune responses. The remarkable ability of herpesviruses to
escape immune responses is - other feature that brings immunology and virology together.
Herpesviruses - code many proteins that interact with and down-regulate some key elements of
the immune system. Thisproperty of herpesviruses represents amajor challenge in developing
strategies against these viruses. On the positive side these viral proteins also provide novel
tools for analyzing specific immune reactions and molecular mechanisms.
