Purinergic Approaches in Experimental Therapeutics

Edited by Kenneth A. Jacobson and Michael F. Jarvis The roles of extracellular purines and pyrimidines in cellularhomeostasis and disease etiology have come to be understoodgradually over the past 40 years. However, due to the recentcloning and expression of receptors for ATP and adenosine, novelcompounds have been developed with unique therapeutic potential forthe treatment of thrombosis, stroke, epilepsy, chronic pain,immunological disorders, and cancer. As a result, the study ofadenosine- and ATP-mediated responses in cellular regulation isentering a phase of opportunity and development unmatched since thedays of serotonin receptor research in the 1970s. The only definitive book on the topic, Purinergic Approaches inExperimental Therapeutics covers all of the major therapeuticapplications of purinergic receptors and reflects the very latestdevelopments in this new area of therapeutic research. Twenty-eightchapters, authored by an international group of contributors whoare the leading authorities in the field, provide details onmolecular pharmacology; medicinal chemistry; and therapeuticimplications, including cardiology, metabolism, immunology,neurology, and cancer. Among the topics covered: * Purinergic Neurotransmission and Neuromodulation: A HistoricalPerspective * Adenosine Receptor Subtypes: New Insights from Cloning andFunctional Studies * Modulators of Adenosine Uptake, Release, and Inactivation * Cardiac Electrophysiology of Adenosine: Antiarrhythmic andProarrhythmic Actions * Purinergic Modulation of Gastrointestinal Function * The Role of Adenosine in Asthma * ATP in Brain Function * ATP in the Treatment of Cancer For researchers in pharmacology, physiology, molecular biology, andmedicinal chemistry, Purinergic Approaches in ExperimentalTherapeutics heralds an exciting new era in the understanding ofpurinergic neurotransmission and the development of noveltherapeutic modalities.