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.

Klappentext

The topics presented here include mechanism of action of anti-inflammatory drugs, enzymes involved in arachidonic acid metabolism, their cloning and crystal structure, the effect of inhibitors and cell knockout, novel receptors and their mechanism of signal transduction, anti-inflammatory eicosanoids and eicosanoid regulation of inflammation and metastasis. Understanding the cellular and molecular basis of the inflammatory response continues to evolve with the discovery of new pathways and mediators. The quest for new antiinflammatory agents depends on the elucidation of biochemical pathways involved in the initiation and termination of the inflammatory response. The topics presented here are state of the art and provide insights into novel approaches.

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.