Abstract
On July 7 through 12,1996, the 11th International Conference on AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) will take place in Vancouver, British Columbia. Unlike the pessimism that prevailed during the 9th International Conference in Berlin in 1993 and, to a lesser extent, the 10th International Conference in Yokohama in 1994, the general feeling among planned participants is one of cautious optimism. One of the reasons for this swing toward optimism is the fact that a number of recent research advances have led to a greater understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease and form the basis for therapeutic and vaccine strategies. A few of these deserve particular attention since they reflect a convergence of greater understanding of both viral and host factors and have practical, and even immediate, implications for the care of HIV-infected individuals. It had been previously demonstrated that HIV actively replicates in lymphoid tissue1,2