[Letter to Colleagues from Peter Duesberg]

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY /
BERKELEY * DAVIS * IRINE * LOS ANGELES * RIVERSIDE * SAN DIECO * SAN FRANCISCO SA\TABARA * SANTA CRUZ
September 4, 1992
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Dr. Lawrence Bogordad c/o Stanley/Donner Administrative Services Unit
229 Stanley Hall
Dept. of Cellular and Developmental Biololgy Berkeley, CA 94720
Harvard University
The Biological Laboratories New Area Code and Fax Number
16 Divinity Avenue 510-642-6549 (phone)
Cambridge, MA 02138 510-643-6455 (fax)
Dear Dr. Bogorad,
Two and a half weeks ago I wrote to you requesting that you would grant me an
opportunity to publish a paper on HIV-free AIDS cases in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences (Aug. 14, copy enclosed). I realize that you have rejected
a paper of mine on this subject on the grounds of "profound and pervasive differences in
opinion" in the past. But the following recent developments encourage me to request a
second hearing on my case:
1) You have just accepted a paper also describing HIV-free AIDS for publication
in the Proceedings (Shudhir Gupta et al. PNAS 89, 7831-7835). Indeed, you even
authorized advance publication of this paper.
2) As I pointed out in my letter to you of Aug. 14, the senior author of the Gupta
paper, Z. Salahuddin, is a convicted felon from Dr. Gallo's lab and not a member of the
Academy. But I am a member in good standing for 6 years. Obviously, I would hope to
have at least the same rights as Salahuddin.
3) The CDC, the NIH and the 8th International Conference on AIDS last July in
Amsterdam have all now publicly recognized HIV-free AIDS cases.
In view of this, I should now also be entitled to publish on this subject in the
Proceedings. Please let me know whether you would now accept a paper from me on
HIV-free AIDS cases.
Sincerely,
Peter Duesberg
PD:jb
End.
cc: Francis Zwanzig, PNAS
Frank Press, President of NAS
Gunther Stent, UC-Berkeley

Jim Watson, Cold Spring Harbor
Harry Rubin, UC-Berkeley
Walter Gilbert, Harvard