ACTUAL PERSPECTIVES IN MOLECULAR VIROLOGY

For reproduction viruses depend on the metabolism of higher organisms that use a variety of different antiviral mechanisms for defense. Insi ghts into virus-host cell interactions and in the strategies viruses e mploy to produce progeny virions were possible by sophisticated method s of modern virology. Knowing about the molecular mechanisms during in fection and replication we have been able to counteract viral attacks on the molecular level by rationally designed vaccines. On the other h and these viruses can be used as molecular vector tools for treatment of e. g. genetically determined diseases. On the basis of new molecula r-biological methods the sensitivity of detection of infectious agents and diagnosis of diseases could be drastically improved.