human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Chapter: 4
A human retrovirus, HIV was co-discovered by Robert Gallo of the National Cancer Institute and Luc Montagier of the Pasteur Institute in Paris. The virus binds to CD-4 receptors, found normally on T-helper cells, but also found on cells of monocyte/macrophage linage. Thus, the virus destroys a key component of the specific immune response and makes the host susceptible to so-called opportunistic infections.