Ada, G.L. and G. Nossal: "The Clonal Selection Theory," Scientific American, August 1987, page 62. Lucid description of one of the most important concepts in immunology.

Beck, G. and G.S. Habicht: "Immunity and the Invertebrates," Scientific American, November 1996, pages 60–66. Invertebrates can distinguish self versus nonself, and even have the equivalent of IL-1 and other cytokines. Some important medical advances have resulted from the study of the invertebrate immune system.

Boon, T.: "Teaching the Immune System to Fight Cancer," Scientific American, vol. 268, March 1993, pages 82–89. Can antigens on the surfaces of cancerous tumors be used to sensitize the immune system to the development of subsequent tumors?

Caldwell, J. and P. Caldwell: "The African AIDS Epidemic," Scientific American, March 1996, pages 62–68. In parts of Africa, nearly 25% of the population is infected with the HIV virus as a result of heterosexual transmission of the virus.

Cell: Entire issue, vol. 76, January 28, 1994. This entire issue is devoted to issues in immunology such as developmental switches, development of lymphocytes, lymphokines and their effects on lymphocytes, antigens and receptors, signal responses, MHCs, lymphocyte recirculation, emigration of leukocytes, and T and B memory cells.

Donelson, J. and M. Turner: "How the Trypanosome Changes Its Coat," Scientific American, February 1985, pages 44–51. An easily understood discussion of how parasites responsible for sleeping sickness use transposition to avoid immune surveillance.

Essex, M. and P. J. Kanki: "The Origins of the AIDS Virus," Scientific American, October 1987, page 64. A discussion of how AIDS-related HIV viruses interact with human beings and monkeys and how some HIV viruses seem to have evolved toward disease-free coexistence with their hosts.

Hoffman, M.: "AIDS: Solving the Molecular Puzzle," American Scientist, vol. 82, March/April 1994, pages 171–77. Despite more than a decade of solid, intensive, well-funded research, researchers are still not all that close to understanding how exactly the HIV virus actually causes AIDS.

Jaret, P.: "Our Immune System: The Wars Within," National Geographic, June 1986, pages 702–36. A very readable account of current progress in the study of the human immune system, with striking photographs by Lennart Nilsson.

Litman, G.W.: "Sharks and the Origins of Vertebrate Immunity," Scientific American, November, 1996, pages 67–71. Sharks have a very effective immune system that shares similarities with the human immune system.