Epstein Barr virus (EBV) was discovered as the first human tumor virus around 50 years ago. Since its discovery in Burkitt¿s lymphoma it has been associated with various other malignancies, infectious mononucleosis and even autoimmune diseases. The two book volumes on EBV summarize the first 50 years of research on this tumor virus, starting with historical perspectives on discovery, oncogenicity and immune control, reviewing the role that the virus plays in the various associated diseases and concluding with a discussion on how the immune system keeps persistent EBV infection under control in healthy EBV carriers and can be used to treat EBV associated diseases. The respective 32 chapters are written by international experts from three continents for health care providers, biomedical researchers and patients that are affected by EBV. The assembled knowledge should help to understand EBV associated diseases better and to develop EBV specific vaccination in the near future.

Historical reminiscence of Professor Sir Anthony Epstein on the discovery of EBV 50 years ago

Christian Münz, University of Zürich, Switzerland.- Therapy of EBV associated diseases.- Chap. 15. Adoptive T cell immunotherapy - Stephen Gottschalk and Cliona Rooney, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA.- Chap. 16. The Development of Prophylactic and Therapeutic EBV Vaccines - Corey Smith and Rajiv Khanna, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia.- Chap. 17. The biology and clinical utility of EBV monitoring in blood- Jennifer Kanakry and Richard Ambinder, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA.- Index.