UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO

f SANTA BARBARA SANTA CRUZ

BERKELEY * DAVIS * IRVINE * LOS ANGELES

RIVERSIDE ' SAN DIEGO - SAN FRANCISCO

:

.._...... .

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Department of Microhiology

and Immunology

Max Essex, Chairman
Department of Cancer Biology
Harvard School of Public Health
665 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02115

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94143

8/Apri1/85

Dear Max:

Thanks for your letter and preprints. At the moment, it seems likely
I will be here on June 3. Perhaps you could call when the time is nearer.

I would certainly be receptive to a proposal for names for the other
primate viruses you have mentioned.
couldn't vote on that as well.
an assignment of a name to the Macaque AIDS virus.
strange for several reasons, not the least of which is the absence
6f I and 11.  Why not just call it "Macaque AIDS Virus" for the moment?

As for the Haseltine proposal, I would suggest that you solicit it
for our deliberation if you think it  is worthwhile.
that a priori the idea of using a mechanistic device as a basis of
nomenclature is less than appealing. Just consider what the extensions
of that policy would do!

I don't see why our subcommittee

You might want to consider delaying
               I find MTLV-I11

I'd have to say

Best regards,

Harold E. Varmus, M.D.
American Cancer Society
Professor of Molecular Virology