Personalized medicine employing patient-based tailor-made therapeutic drugs is taking over treatment paradigms in a variety of ?elds in oncology and the central nervous system. The success of such therapies is mainly dependent on ef?cacious therapeutic drugs and a selective imaging probe for identi?cation of potential responders as well as therapy monitoring for an early bene't assessment. Molecular imaging (MI) is based on the selective and speci?c interaction of a molecular probe with a biological target which is visualized through nuclear, magnetic resonance, near infrared or other...

The structure of nucleosomes is elucidated, and enzymes involved in DNA or histone modifications have been characterized. Since deregulation of epigenetic marks has been reported in many cancers, an understanding of the molecular mechanisms bears the promise that drug targets may be found. The developments in this field are presented in this book.

Chemical genomics is a field of research both in academics and in the life sciences industry. Various aspects of the interface between chemistry and biology are covered in this volume, such as chemogenomics efforts in the pharmaceutical industry, diversity-oriented synthesis, chemogenomic approaches to the study of cell function, and more.

The discovery of mammalian nitric oxide (NO-) synthesis from I-ar- ginine has led to profound increases in our understanding of basic physiological and pathophysiological processes. This understanding has been achieved by major advances in several areas. Three major ni- tric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms have been identified at the protein and gene level and their specific tissue localization has been linked to processes subject to regulation by NO-. The molecular basis for the di- verse effects of NO- on cell function has been shown to derive from its chemical reactivity with...

Reasoning in terms of molecular recognition may be traced back to Emil Fischer, who practiced the art of chemistry at Humboldt University in Prussian Berlin a century ago. Today, it is clearly recognized that molecular recognition impacts and determines all life processes. It has become a key research field in both chemistry and biology and the emerging interface of what now is being called "chemical biology". The technological advances derived from this knowledge are particularly important, diverse, and directly evident in the pharmaceutical industry. Under the auspices of the Ernst Schering...

Natural Products have been important sources of useful drugs from prehistoric times to the present. This book gives an overview about this field and provides important recent contributions to the discovery of new drugs generated by research on natural products.
Total synthesis of natural products with interesting biological activities is paving the way for the preparation of new and improved analogs. The methods of combinatorial chemistry permit the selection of the best drug from a large number of candidates. Beyond synthesis and evaluation of organic molecules a number of new bioorganic...

Professor Egon Diczfalusy, a pioneer in gynaecological endocrinology and in particular female contraception, celebrated his 80th birthday with a scientific symposium. The participants were scientists from all over the world who had been scholars and close collaborators at different points in time. The interdisciplinary meeting consisted of lectures on the epidemiological impacts of ageing, its challenge for the pharmaceutical industry, philosophical aspects of the future of mankind, and the history and future of contraception. Three round table discussions addressed the hormonal control of...

In February 2001, two separate teams published the first working drafts of the entire human genome, marking an achievement that is certainly one of the seminal developments in our understanding of human biology. A grasp of the function of each gene will radically change how we diagnose and prevent diseases and adminster treatments. But the drive to turn the completed sequence into practical knowledge is fraught with complexity. This volume, a summary of the eponymous symposium, gives the student and practitioner alike insight into some of the challenges this new science faces and the lessons...

The European Workshop on Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology of the Testis was organized for the first time at Geilo, Norway, 8-11 April 1980. Since then, these meetings have been held in Holland, France, Italy, England, Sweden/Finland (Aland), Germany, and Bel gium. This year the circle has been closed: The 9th European Testis Workshop is back in the Norwegian mountains where it all started. The Scientific Committee of the First European Testis Workshop included Dr. H.J. van der Molen (Rotterdam), Dr. V. Hansson (Oslo), Dr. B. Cooke (London), Dr. V. Monesi (Rome), Dr. E.M. Ritzen...

The use of cells for the treatment of a variety of diseases is no longer a dream. Today, blood transfusion, bone marrow transplantation, the use of ex vivo cultured skin in wound healing, and peripheral stern cell transplantation, including the ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stern cells after high-dose chemo/radiation therapy, are routine. This high standard of knowledge and skills in cell transplantation might also re sult in tackling hitherto untreatable diseases. Organ transplantation is presently the only life-saving treatment for a variety of conditions. Important findings in cell...