News & Comment

Confluence of two fields generates optimism in AIDS research

Two founding mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 are responsible for a large proportion of Jewish families with the breast-ovarian cancer syndrome.

Examination of the structure and signaling properties of the chemokine receptors highlights their role in physiological and pathological processes.

Mutations in mitochondrial genes are increasingly implicated in human disease.

Injudicious application of genetic testing may have unwanted effects on health-care-seeking behavior and health services

Intracellular traffic of the HIV-1 transactivator protein Tat appears essential for pathogenesis, and interdiction by immunization-induced antibodies to Tat should prevent AIDS.

The Office of Research Integrity should rename itself the Office of Reputational Restoration.

The thalassemias and related genetic diseases pose public health problems for many countries in the next millennium. Will it be possible to apply research results to their control and management on the scale required?

Constructive critical thinking about the theories behind science could revolutionize clinical research.

The train has left the station — stop that train!

On-site training in modern molecular technology and capacity-building in less developed countries are essential for the effective prevention and control of emerging, reemerging and endemic infectious diseases.

Predictive diagnosis by molecular methods will change the scientific basis of prognostics. At the same time, it will change the ethical dimensions of the relation among patients, their doctors and other providers of care.

Plasma HIV RNA determinations are an important prognostic marker of disease progression and, when used appropriately, provide a valuable tool for the management of individual patients. But what constitutes appropriate use?