Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, characterized by progressive chronic airflow obstruction, is a common respiratory disorder and cause of death in adults, but has received little attention compared with other respiratory diseases such as asthma and lung cancer. Current treatment offers some symptomatic relief, but does not address the underlying process. As smoking cessation is the only intervention known to alter the rate of disease progression, there is a great need for the development of superior therapies for symptomatic relief and disease modification. This book reviews and...