The immunology of Epstein-Barr virus infection

Epstein-Barr virus is a classic example of a persistent human virus that ha s caught tile imagination of immunologists, virologists and oncologists bec ause of the juxtaposition of a number of important properties. First, the a bility of the virus to immortalize B lymphocytes in vitro has provided an a ntigen presenting cell in which all the latent antigens: of tile virus are displayed and are available for systematic study. Second, the virus present s an ideal system for studying the immune parameters that maintain latency and tile consequences of disturbing this cell-virus relationship Third, thi s wealth of immunological background has provided a platform for elucidatin g the role of the immune system in protection from viral-associated maligna ncies of B cell and epithelial cell origin. Finally attention is now being directed towards the development of vaccine formulations which might have b road application in tile control of human malignancies.