Advances in Eicosanoid Research

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.

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.