Over the last few years, we have witnessed tremendous progress in the field of eicosanoids and their therapeutic applications. Receptor an­ tagonists for leukotrienes have been tested as anti-inflammatories and are on the market as a treatment for asthma. Receptor agonists for pro­ stacyclin are being tested for the treatment of peripheral vascular dis­ ease, and selective inhibitors of cyclooxygenase type II were just ap­ proved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. All these developments are the culmination of many years and man-hours of careful research. The field has now entered an upswing that will result in novel thera­ peutic applications within the next 10 years. New molecules and me­ diators have been identified, new enzymes and pathways elucidated and new therapeutic approaches have emerged. The concept of ei­ cosanoids as "pro-inflammatory" molecules is being challenged, and their role as regulators is increasingly recognized. In fact, some of these molecules may be important endogenous anti-inflammatory agents.

Inhalt

The Mechanism of Action of Anti-Inflammatory Drugs; Human Group V Phospholipase A2 Expression in Pichia Pastoris and Role in Eicosanoid Generation; Fatty Acid Substrate Interactions with Cyclooxygenases; Inhibitors of Cyclooxygenases: Recent Advances; Leukotriene A4 Hydrolases: Probing the Active-Sites and Catalytic Mechanisms by Site-Directed Mutagenesis; The Regulation of Cyclooxygenase-1 and-2 in Knockout Cells and Cyclooxygenase and Fever in Knockout Mice; Leukotriene B4 Receptor and Signal Transduction; Antileukotrienes Provide New Treatment for Asthma and New Understanding of Mechanisms; Lipoxins, Aspirin-triggered 15-epi-Lipoxin Stable Analogs and Their Receptors in Anti-Inflammation; Lipoxin Stable Analogs: Potential Therapeutic Down-Regulators of Intestinal Inflammation; Role of Eicosanoids in Tumor Growth and Metastasis.