Epstein Barr virus (EBV) was discovered as the first human tumor virus around 50 years ago.
Since its discovery in Burkitt¿s lymphoma it has been associated with various other
malignancies infectious mononucleosis and even autoimmune diseases. The two book volumes on
EBV summarize the first 50 years of research on this tumor virus starting with historical
perspectives on discovery oncogenicity and immune control reviewing the role that the virus
plays in the various associated diseases and concluding with a discussion on how the immune
system keeps persistent EBV infection under control in healthy EBV carriers and can be used to
treat EBV associated diseases. The respective 32 chapters are written by international experts
from three continents for health care providers biomedical researchers and patients that are
affected by EBV. The assembled knowledge should help to understand EBV associated diseases
better and to develop EBV specific vaccination in the near future.
