THE SALK INSTITUTE

May 2, 1983

Harold E. Varmus, M.D.
Department of Microbiology

University of California
San Francisco, California 94143

and Immunology

Dear Ha r ol d ,

In response to your letter of April 26 concerning the
nom@nclature of the retrovirus group, I have the following
thoughts. I agree it should not be called AIDS virus. I
also think it should not be called HTLV because that
designation is historical and does not distinguish between
the tumor inciting activity of HTLV 1 and 2 and the
depressant activity of the AIDS virus. I would think that
the designation should have the human and the T-cell
specific concepts and somehow should convey the
immunodepressant or cytocidal effect. I would propose
something like HTIV or HTCV.

I wish you the best success in this enterprise.

Yours sincerely,

<2&-

Renato Dulbecco, M.D.

RD/bml

Post Office Box 85800, San Diego, California 92138-9216 o Telephone (619) 453-4100
           TWX 910337 1283 SALK SD LJLA