Van G. Wilson is a Full Professor in the Department of Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis in the College of Medicine at Texas A&M University Health Science Center since 1999, and also served 12 years as the college's Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies. Van's scientific career focused on viruses of the papovavirus group, including SV40, polyomaviruses, and papillomaviruses with funding from the NIH, the National Science Foundation, the American Cancer Society, and several other agencies. During that period Van published 71 scientific papers, 22 book chapters, 130 abstracts, and has edited 4 scientific books. Van has taught medical and graduate students for over 35 years and has lectured on his science around the world. Through these experiences, he has accumulated a broad, yet detailed, perspective about human-viruses interactions, from the molecular to the societal level. Van believes there are exciting, important, and interesting aspects of viral biologythat would be appealing and accessible to a general audience, and therefore he decided to create a book that is both educational and entertaining.

Offers an introduction to virology in easy to understand language

Presents latest developments in antiviral treatment strategies

Explores origins and impact of both established and novel viruses

¿It¿s alive! It¿s alive!¿ ¿ Mel Brook¿s Young Frankenstein

An introduction to viruses through some examples that illustrate the size, quantity, and diversity of viruses on earth, followed by a short history of the discovery of viruses. The chapter focuses on the concepts that define life through an examination of animals, plants, and single-cell organisms. These basic features of living organisms are then related to viruses to demonstrate that viruses fail most of the definitions of life and act instead as unique, self-replicating nano-machines.

1.1. Weird Facts and Big Numbers

A playful discussion of the sizes and numbers of viruses in our world

1.2. From Ignorance to Fascination

A brief history of the discovery of viruses

1.3. A Biological Primer ¿ Multicellular Organisms

The biological, functional, and genetic characteristics that define plants and animals

1.4. Smaller, but Still Alive ¿ Unicellular Organisms

The biological, functional, and genetic characteristics that define bacteria and yeast

1.5. Biochemistry ¿ You Can¿t Escape It

The important biomolecules needed for all living organisms

1.6. Viruses at Last

A comparison of viruses with living organisms to illustrate the just how different and unique viruses are from any other organisms on Earth

2. Families, Form, and Function

¿A virus a piece of bad news wrapped in protein¿ ¿ Sir Peter Medawar

An overview of viral taxonomy (families); structure, organization, genetics, and reproduction (form); and pathogenic mechanisms (function). This chapter develops the foundational concepts and vocabulary that are expanded on with specific topics in the subsequent chapters.

2.1. Taxonomy and Other Geeky Things

An explanation of how viruses are named and classified

2.2. Virions, the Viral Vehicle

A discussion of the viral particle including its shape, component pieces, and functions

2.3. Alive or Not, Viruses Have a Life Cycle

2.4. Infection and Disease - How Viruses Spread and do Nasty Things

The mechanisms by which viruses infect cells and cause damage to cells and organs in our bodies

3. Ancient or New ¿ On the Origin of Viruses

¿Endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved¿ - Charles Darwin

An examination of the origins of viruses and their co-evolution with living organisms. Are they the ancient progenitors of all life or are they degenerate offspring that devolved from more complex existing organisms? Competing views on viral origin will be compared and contrasted. The co-evolution of viruses with humans and our hominid ancestors is also explored.

3.1. We Don¿t Know Exactly Where We Came From, but We¿re Here Anyway

A brief history of the universe and the evolution of life on Earth

3.2. Are Viruses the Chicken or the Egg?

3.3. Hypotheses, Hypotheses, and More Hypotheses

Examination of the major historical theories for viral origin evolution

3.4. New Data at Last

Use of nucleic acid and protein information to analyze viral origins and familial relationships

3.5. Closer to Home

How did ancient viruses give rise to modern viral families Papillomaviruses and Hominid Evolution ¿ human papillomaviruses (HPVs) as an example of viral co-evolution with humans

4. Of Predators and Prey

¿The single biggest threat to man¿s continued dominance on the planet is the virus¿ -Joshua Lederberg, 1958 Nobel Laureate

Examination of selected viral diseases that illustrate mechanisms of viral spread and the 3 types of infection outcomes: acute disease (influenza), chronic infection (hepatitis C), and latent infections (herpes varicella-zoster). These examples demonstrate the complex interplay between hosts (humans) and predators (viruses) and explain why viruses have evolved to be such persistent infectious pathogens for humans.

4.1. Viral Infections ¿ The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The principles of how viruses spread, infect cells, and cause disease

Influenza virus as an example of an acute infection where the virus is completely cleared from the body after recovery

4.3. Hepatitis C ¿ The Great Deceiver

Hepatitis C virus as an example of a chronic infection where active virus can remain permanently in the host

4.4. Herpes Varicella-Zoster Virus ¿ Now You See It and Now You Don¿t

A herpes virus as an example of a virus that cause an acute illness but then becomes latent with the ability to reactivate years later

4.5. Polyomaviruses and Anelloviruses ¿ Predators or Passengers?

Examples of viruses that are commonly found in humans but whose disease role is mostly uncertain

5. Immunity, Immunity, Immunity

¿If we think of the immune system as a machine, then we are far from even knowing all of its parts¿ - Bruce Beutler, 2011 Nobel Laureate

Like the real estate adage about the importance of location, location, location, survival from viral infection illustrates the importance of immunity. The 3 types of relevant immunity (intrinsic, innate, and acquired) will be explained in the context of viral infection. This chapter is the corollary to chapter 4 and discusses how viruses have influenced human evolution as we attempted to combat and counteract viral infections.

5.1. The Big Three ¿ Branches of Immunity

An overview of the three branches of immunity and their roles in protection from viruses

5.1.1. Intrinsic Immunity ¿ Always There When We Need It

The biology and mechanism of by which intrinsic immunity protects from viral infection

5.1.2. Innate Immunity ¿ Locked and Loaded

The biology and mechanism of by which innate immunity protects from viral infection

5.1.3. Adaptive Immunity ¿ The Gift That Keeps On Giving

The biology and mechanism of by which adaptive immunity protects from viral infection

6. Viruses That Shaped our World

¿A virus can change the fate of the world; power has nothing to do with being tiny or giant!¿ - Mehmet Murat Ildan

In addition to the consequences of viral infection for the individual, large scale viral effects on human populations have influenced history and culture. Examples covered will include smallpox, influenza, poliovirus, and HIV, each of which had important sociological effects on human populations.

6.1. Smallpox ¿ Mankind¿s First Conquest

The history of smallpox and its devastating Effects on Europe and the New World

6.2. Polio ¿ A Force for Change

The history of polio virus and how outbreaks in 20th century America led to the emergence of disease philanthropy and vaccine development

6.3. HIV/AIDS ¿ A New Pandemic for the 20th Century and Beyond

The origins of AIDS and how this epidemic introduced universal precautions and inspired medical activism

7. Simian-Virus 40 ¿ How an Obscure Monkey Virus Ushered in the Age of Molecular Biology

¿The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.¿ ¿ Thomas Berger

The extensive poliovirus vaccination programs of the late 1950s and early 1960s lead to the accidental infection of millions of individuals of an unknown virus (SV40) with cancer-causing potential. This mistake sparked a massive research enterprise to understand this virus. Many of the early tools and foundational discoveries of modern molecular biology, as well as the origins of important regulatory compliance policies, derived from this beginning and still echo in our research and society today.

7.1. Viruses, Viruses, and More Viruses

How advances in technology led to the identification of more and more new viruses in the 20th century

7.2. Polio Vaccines and A Stealth Simian Virus

The discovery of a new simian virus called SV40 as a contaminant of the early polio virus vaccines

7.3. To Be or Not To Be ¿ Is SV40 a Human Tumor Virus?

The discovery that SV40 has cancer-causing potential and the continuing debate on its role in human cancers

7.4. The SV40 Revolution

How SV40 became a prominent model for molecular biology and led to many important discoveries about human cell biology

7.5. p53 ¿ The Guardian of the Genome

How SV40 led to the discovery of p53, the most important human protein for fighting cancer

7.6. Asilomar and the Birth of Biosafety

How fears about using SV40 in research led to the federal regulation and the evolution of modern lab biosafety requirements

8. Viral Oncology ¿ Infectious Cancer

¿Most of the infections linked to human cancers are common in human populations; they are ubiquitous. They were present during the whole human evolution process.¿ ¿ Harald zur Hausen, 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Approximately 25% of human cancers have been shown to have a viral contribution. This chapter will discuss the role of retroviruses and various DNA type viruses in human cancers, describe how these viruses can transform normal cells into cancerous ones, and illustrate how the study of these viruses has informed our knowledge of the molecular basis for cancer.

8.1. The Infectious Beginnings of Cancer Research

The history of viral oncology and the discovery of animal tumor viruses

8.2. The Oncogene Revelation

The discovery...