title: A journey with T cells, primate/human retroviruses and other persisting human T-cell tropic viruses.
abstract: A study of the growth of primate/human T cells led to mechanisms for temporary laboratory culture of these cells (discovery of interleukin-2) and also their continuous culture (by immortalization after infection with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 or 2 (HTLV-1 or 2)). Cultures of lymphocytes also led us to isolate five persisting T-tropic viruses: 1. the Hall's Island strain of gibbon ape leukemia virus, 2. HTLV-1, 3. HTLV-2, 4. human immunodeficiency virus and 5. human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6). This report is a brief synopsis of the discoveries of the first human retroviruses, the HTLV.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, 725 W. Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. gallo@umbi.umd.edu
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Gallo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000821:virology; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D006678:HIV / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology; D017989:Leukemia Virus, Gibbon Ape / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000266:history*; D011323:Primates; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000502:physiology*; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000266:history / Q000821:virology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D014773:Virology / Q000266:history*